


Re:RWBY

by B1umenkranz



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 12:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10099949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B1umenkranz/pseuds/B1umenkranz
Summary: A rewrite of RWBY from scratch. Come and give it a read if you enjoy action, a coherent story, consistent character development, and most importantly, Team RWBY.





	1. Ruby Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the world of Remnant, Ruby Rose is just your average student who trains to fight monsters. One night, an assertation with some criminals changes the direction of her life, and the rest of the world, forever.

_“Legends. Stories scattered throughout time. Mankind has grown fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains of lore, but forget so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a grander history._

_Man, forged from dust, wielded an unprecedented ingenuity, but was born into a world of relentless terror. An encroaching darkness, the creatures of Grimm, set their sights on man and all his creations. These forces clashed, and darkness prepared to return man's brief existence to the void._

_However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change. Mankind, pushed to the brink of annihilation, harnessed a source of power derived from the planet itself, aptly named “Dust.”_

_Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came civilization, prosperity, and most importantly, life._

_But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they fade, darkness shall return. You may prepare your guardians, but take heed, there will be no victory in your light.”_

“But perhaps victory lies in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.”

* * *

 A young girl perused a magazine at the back of a small shop. Headphones blared rock music as she gleefully flipped through the pages of the weapons catalogue. Already dark out, she really should not be out so late, but the newest issue, featuring semi-automatic guns combined with other objects, just begged for her attention.

She did not hear the soft jingle of a bell as the front door opened.

A slender young man in a long white coat and bowler hat strolled in. He tapped his cane against the front counter, a glass case filled with luminescent crystals. Hunched over, the elderly store owner looked up nervously; several masked thugs stood behind the customer.

“Do you have any idea,” he said, cigar clenched in his teeth, “how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?”

One of the thugs aimed an energy rifle at the old man, who raised his hands and motioned to the cash register.

“P-please! Just take my Lien and leave!”

“Shh. Calm down.” His voice practically oozed charisma. “I don’t need your money.” He set an empty briefcase on the counter and unlatched it before he tilted his head towards a wall covered in tubes of brightly-colored powders.

“Get the Dust.”

The masked henchmen scurried to the Dust dispensers. They rigged glass canisters up to the tubes and the fine powder hissed into their new containers.

 

One of the burly henchmen heard the oblivious girl’s music from down an aisle, and he made his way over, sword in hand. An easy target, just a teenaged girl in some over-the-top gothic black and red dress. He waved his blade threateningly.

“Hands where I can see ‘em, kid!” he demanded. No response. He yanked her hood off which took the headphones with it. The girl, rather annoyed at the interruption, curiously turned at the perpetrator.

“Uh, yes?”

“I said, hands in the air!” he brandished the sword menacingly. She eyed it with obvious contempt, even boredom. Who in their right mind would carry such a bland weapon?

“Are you…robbing me?” she asked.

“Yes!” He spat matter-of-factly.

“Oooh.” She placed the magazine back on the shelf.

 

The robber closed his briefcase full of freshly-laundered Dust crystals, and instructed his underlings to finish up. The beautiful, uncut rocks would yield a high market value, but had just as much worth as a weapon of mass destruction.

“Hey!” shouted the henchman at the back of the store.

“Hiyah!”

The man that had towered over the young girl flew backwards and smashed into one of the Dust displays. Before another henchman could raise his gun, a red blur overwhelmed them and carried him out through the front window.

Outside, she bounded off the downed man and landed on the asphalt of the street before she turned to face the broken storefront. A trail of rose petals fluttered in her wake. The head thief peered outside and saw this teenaged girl, barely an adult, confidently pull a weapon from under a flowing red cape. What appeared to be a rifle expanded and unfolded into an enormous scythe, twice the size of the pint-sized warrior. The scythe’s crimson red color gleamed in the street lights. That intense color reflected the name of the girl, one Ruby Rose.

The whirring of the scythe’s mechanisms and scraping of metal echoed against the cafes and shops on the narrow street. Any citizens ran and cars along the road pulled away once the window exploded, though at that time of night downtown Vale appeared deserted.

By the time the weapon’s transformation was done, three henchmen gathered in front of the store wielding guns and blades.

Ruby slammed her scythe forward into the pavement and aimed it one of the charging henchmen. Utilizing rifle mode, she shot him straight in the chest with a ballistic round and sent him flying back towards the store. Another thug strafed and came at her from the side while another aimed his rifle. Ruby jumped on top of her scythe’s handle to avoid the swipe of a sword and used the height advantage to deliver a momentum-fueled kick to the face. The force of her foot split the mask with a loud crack. She gracefully flipped off her weapon and yanked it from the ground. She danced with her scythe and blasted direct shots even as she spun it around her shoulders like a baton. and zig-zagged forwards at inhuman speed. With a mighty swing, she scooped the nearest henchman from the side and tossed him against the building across the street.

Only their leader remained, and he sighed at the unconscious bodies around him.

“You were worth every cent. Truly, you were.” He dropped his cigar and crushed it under his heel. “Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening,” police sirens blared in the distance, “and as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways.”

He surprised Ruby when a crosshair flipped up from the bottom of his cane, aimed directly at her. The man in white shot an explosive bolt of energy at Ruby’s feet, who barely had time to react. By the time the debris settled and she could get her head straight, her target had already dashed up a nearby fire escape.

Ruby sprinted for the ladder, but instead of climbing it, she aimed her scythe towards the ground and planted a foot firmly on the underside of the blade. She pulled the trigger on the rifle component and blasted off into the air. Another shot boosted her even further, and she landed on the roof, eyes on the thief. He looked over his shoulder and gritted his teeth.

“Persistent,” he growled.

A large, roaring helicopter rose from behind the building. The huge kind meant to transport vehicles and cargo. A hatch on the side opened, which allowed the thief to leap inside. He held his hat to his head in the strong gust generated from the propeller, but mustered the effort to turn with a wide, victorious smile on his face.

“End of the line, Red!”

He tossed one of the red crystals stolen from the store, and once it landed in front of Ruby, made a direct shot on it with his cane cannon. It made an explosion three times as big as the previous. The blast left a crater in the roof that should have obliterated the girl. The thief laughed haughtily into the night air and took a bow towards his handiwork.

“Whoa-ho-ho! Hah! …Huh?”

Ruby still stood. In fact, another figure now stood in front of her. A middle-aged woman in a purple dress and narrow glasses held a wand threateningly towards the chopper. The remains of a magical bubble barrier disintegrated from around the two.

“The hell…?” The hatch closed, and a voice rang from inside. “We got a Huntress!”

The helicopter began to take evasive measures, but as soon as the Huntress waved her wand, purple clouds formed around the airship and sent it into a wobbling frenzy. Ruby snapped out of her daze long enough to make a move of her own, and slammed the blade of her scythe down. She aimed the rifle as carefully as she could in that tense moment.

A single shot rocketed right at the chopper’s propeller, the accuracy of which shocked even the Huntress, but when the bullet made contact, instead of ripping the rotor apart or setting the ship ablaze, it shattered. The entire helicopter shattered like glass, into a thousand pieces.

“Huh?” Ruby had never seen anything like it. No way did she do that herself.

“Damn,” mumbled the Huntress under her breath. She shook her head and turned towards Ruby, who recoiled in place but could barely contain a childlike smile.

“You're a Huntress!” she said, awestruck. “Can I have your autograph?!”

* * *

 Ruby’s feeling of admiration and glee soon made way for shame. Within minutes, she found herself escorted to a dark room at the nearest police station. It had the atmosphere of a shady interrogation scene. Didn’t she deserve congratulations and applause?

The Huntress from earlier entered the room, eyes lowered towards a tablet she cradled in both hands. Her name, Glynda Goodwitch, indeed a powerful Hunter. Ruby could see from the transparent screen footage taken of her fight.

“I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger.”

“They started it!”

“It was a terrible risk to take on a group of dangerous criminals on your own. Not only Roman Torchwick but a flock of White Fang as well.” She walked up to Ruby with a look of disappointment. “If it were up to me, you'd be escorted back home…with a pat on the back,” she nodded approvingly at the footage, but quickly whipped out her wand, smacking the metal table with a crack.

“And a slap on the wrist."

Ruby reeled with a sharp gasp.

“Fortunately for you, that isn’t up to me. There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

An old but poised man dressed in black and green walked in. He held a tray of cookies in one hand and a mug in the other.

“If you could give us some alone time?” He asked Glynda in a low voice. She nodded and made for the door.

The man walked up to the table, and his aged silver hair appeared to glow even in the dim interrogation room light. A green scarf dangled as he leaned over to place the cookie tray on the table.

“Ruby Rose,” he mused, “wherever did you learn to use such a dangerous weapon?” The low-hanging light left his face in shadow. Ruby gulped at the imposing appearance.

“S-Signal Academy…?” she stuttered.

“So, they’re the ones to blame for not only your behavior tonight, but for letting you run loose with that scythe of yours?”

Ruby cleared her throat and looked to the side nervously. She reached for a cookie.

“Well, one teacher in particular.” She stuffed the cookie into her mouth and swiped a few more.

“Funny you say that,” he said, smiling at her antics, “I’ve only ever seen one scythe user of that caliber and style. A dusty old crow.”

“Thash muh uncle!” Ruby cheerily declared with her mouth full. She swallowed down the snack and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “That’s my uncle Qrow. He’s a teacher at Signal and taught me everything I know. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. He’s the reason I’m all,” she raised her hands like she was chopping the air, “Pshew! Ka-pow! Blam! He’s training me so I can go to Beacon Academy in a couple years.”

The man pulled out the chair and sat with a grunt. His eyes beamed from behind a pair of small reading glasses, and he took a sip of whatever that mug held.

“Now why would a young girl want to go to a school designed for warriors?”

“I want to become a Huntress.”

“You want to slay monsters.”

“I want to help people.” Ruby answered with rigid sincerity. “I’ve always wanted to. Always been told I should. I mean, sure there’s the police or something but Hunters are so much more exciting! Their lifestyles are full of adventure and fighting evil and so romantic!”

Her excited speech was met with a low chuckle. The good-natured interrogator leaned in a bit and a finger pushed his small reading spectacles up his nose.

“You have silver eyes,” he said. The nervous girl’s eyes had widened and made themselves crystal-clear.

“Oh, uh, yeah, just like my mother.” She fidgeted in place. “It runs in the family.”

“Summer Rose.” The man mentioned Ruby’s deceased mother by name.

“Did you know her?”

“Not just me, but a lot of important people. She meant a great deal to many of us. You must have been very young, but I attended her funeral service. I doubt you’d remember.”

“Sorry, I don’t.”

“But do you know who I am?”

Ruby nodded, and didn’t think twice about her answer.

“You’re Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon.”

“Hello,” he greeted with a warm smile. Ozpin extended his hand and Ruby returned the gesture.

“Nice to meet you.”

“You want to go to my school that badly, is that it?”

“More than anything in the world,” she sighed dreamily.

“Then you’re welcome to start this semester.”

* * *

 “I can’t believe my baby sister is coming with me to Beacon. I didn’t think this day could get any better, I’m so proud!”

Ruby rolled her eyes and struggled against the crushing strength of a tight hug. Her older sister, Yang, had the strength of a Beowulf. This contrasted her bouncing gold locks and bubbly personality.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it! It was nothing.” Ruby whined, muffled. The scent of Yang’s leather biker jacket stung her nose.

“Oh, come on. I thought you’d be excited! You’ve wanted to go to Beacon ever since I can remember. And now you got to get in early because you stopped a Dust robbery. You’re already a hero.”

“Shut up! People are staring.”

“Those are the people you’re gonna meet! Imagine it! They’ll all bring cool weapons with them too.”

Ruby squinted suspiciously. How dare she use her affinity for weapons against her?

Uneasy footsteps clunked on the floor of the transport airship. Some blond boy staggered to the bathroom, clearly too nauseous to stand up straight. Both girls winced.

“Guess the view isn’t for everyone,” Yang shrugged. “Don’t worry! You’ll be too busy being popular to notice Vomit Boy. Everyone’s gonna think you’re the bee’s knees.”

“Can’t I just be a normal girl with normal knees? No special knees?”

“You can try, but that’s gonna be pretty hard with your face all over the news.”

“What?” Ruby turned towards a TV screen suspended above and behind her. She stared right into an image of herself. The anchor’s voice filled the ship.

“The robbery was led by notorious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. Attempts were made to capture him by Huntress Glynda Goodwitch and civilian Ruby Rose. Please contact the Vale Police Department if you have any information on his whereabouts. Back to you, Lisa.”

Ruby pulled her hood down over her eyes. Yang walked to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“…Faunus civil rights protest turned violent,” the news continued, “when members of the White Fang appeared armed and aggressive.” A blurry photo of a large protest appeared on the screen. People with animal features wielded signs and it all looked far more agitated than your average strike. “This marks the fourth attack this month by the once-peaceful organiza-”

The screen shut off abruptly. The voice of the anchorwoman gave way to one familiar to Ruby. A hologram of Glynda appeared in the center of the room.

“Hello, and welcome to Beacon.”

“Who’s that?” Yang asked.

“My name is Glynda Goodwitch.”

“Oh.”

“You are among a privileged few who have received the honor to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Hunters, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world.”

The hologram faded just in time for an enormous castle to come into view across the ocean bay. Students rushed to the windows as Beacon Academy neared; its towers stalwart and regal, the grounds covered in sparkling white marble paths, and the busy downtown Vale sprawled before it like a maze.

“Wow…” Ruby said, completely awestruck. She scanned the school and the surrounding area. Thick green forests blanketed the rest of the land, with a few buildings sticking from them in the distance.

“Still nervous?” her sister asked. Ruby smiled.

“Yang! You can see Signal from up here!” Her smile grew wider. “I guess home isn’t too far after all.”

“Beacon’s our home now, sis.”

“Easy for you to say. You got to bring your friends with you.”

“You’ll make new friends in no time.”

Behind them, the same young man was once again running for the nearest trash bin. Ruby shook her head.

“Long as Vomit Boy isn’t one of them.”

“Oh my god, he’s really still puking.”


	2. The Shining Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and her sister Yang arrive at Beacon Academy, where they meet all sorts of new people. It maybe the strangest prestigious academy out there.

Dozens of airships hovered up to the front gates of Beacon Academy, the most prestigious combat school in the province of Vale and arguably on the entire continent. It had stood for decades not only as a well-respected citadel of knowledge, but as a symbol of hope and prosperity for the people of the City of Vale. The creatures of Grimm had no chance of penetrating its ironclad walls nor could they pierce the solidarity of positivity the populous held. At its very heart, the school’s tallest tower, adorned with antennae and spinning gears, functioned as the kingdom’s central hub of digital and telecommunications. Only a handful of other places on Remnant could consider themselves so pivotal to civilization.

And Ruby Rose just fully absorbed this fact as she stepped onto the grounds for the first time; Professor Ozpin deemed her worthy of Beacon and everything it had to offer her.

Ruby and Yang checked their bags in and stood in front of the lush courtyard.

“It’s pretty awesome up close, huh?” Yang asked her sister.

The kind of view you could only get up close. Towers stretched into the sky and the stairway up into the school loomed like a legendary chapel. Except they had gathered to fight, not pray, and pay their respects to the art of combat. To Ruby’s delight, this meant innumerable new weapons to discover.

“Yang, look!” Ruby squealed, pointing at some students. “That guy’s got a flaming staff! And that girl has a giant machine gun! Look! That dude’s got a _real_ sword! Oh my gosh I can’t-”

“Easy there, sis, they’re just weapons.”

“Just weapons?” she exclaimed in disbelief, “They’re an extension of ourselves! They’re part of our very being, and they’re really cool!”

“That’s pretty deep of you.” Yang remarked with a smile. She had heard this a hundred times before.

“Like you’re always up in people's’ faces, and _Ember Celica’_ s all about aggression! And then you know, Dad’s not very confrontational so he’s got his whole thing, and me, well…”

“Are completely over-the-top and rip off your heroes?”

“Hey!” she said defiantly, “I love _Crescent Rose_ for what she is, I just happen to appreciate certain amazing weapons as a base.”

“So, you copied Uncle Qrow’s gimmick.”

“Shh!” she hushed Yang with a pout. It didn’t exactly help that she hit the nail on the head with that comment. “I just love seeing new weapons, okay? It’s a lot like meeting new people, only better.”

Yang playfully tugged on Ruby’s hood and pulled it over her eyes.

“Come on Rubes, why don’t you go and try and make some friends of your own? Living, non-metal ones.”

Ruby slipped the hood off and looked up at her sister with wide eyes.

“Why would I need to look for friends if I have you?”

Yang looked over Ruby’s head at other students gathering in groups. She waved, and Ruby became nervous.

“Actually, my friends are here. I should really catch up. You’ll do great! Just wander around and find some people! I’ll see you soon!” Yang sprinted off towards the older students who had arrived together with peers their own age.

“But Yang!”

“Bye!” she shouted, and melded into her circle of friends. It left Ruby rather dejected.

“Where are we even supposed to go…?” she wondered aloud in a hushed whine. Did she have to worry about dorms? Did the school even have dorms? Well of course they had to, otherwise where would they live? She still had no idea where to find them or who to report to for a room key or even the names of anyone else in the huge place! “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

In her confusion she did not hear a loaded luggage cart behind her, and clumsily backed into it which sent her and the suitcases on it into a pile on the ground.

"What are you doing?!" screeched a shrill and annoyed voice.

"Uh, sorry!" Ruby shouted from the ground, very disoriented and extremely embarrassed.

"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"

Ruby finally recovered. The girl who had yelled at her stood next to a half-empty luggage cart, arms crossed with a fowl expression on her face. Even sitting on the ground Ruby could tell she held the height advantage on the white-haired grouch who scolded her, she could have no less than two years on her.

“Sorry, sorry! Uh, here, uh…” Ruby hastily picked up one of the cases and handed it to the obnoxious student.

The girl snatched it back and reached into it to retrieve a small glowing glass tube. Dust sprinkled from the top onto her snow-white dress and overcoat. She squinted with sharp blue eyes, prepared to lecture Ruby as she rather haphazardly waved around the vial of red Dust powder.

“This is Dust! It’s all Dust! Mined and purified straight from the finest Schnee quarries! Do you even know what the market price is for a mere ounce of this?”

Little did she realize the powder spilled into the air with each reckless movement.

“Uuhhhh…” Ruby sniffled.

"What are you, brain-dead?" She slammed the case she held shut and dropped it back on the luggage cart. “Dust! Only the best Dust there is! You’re not gonna find a better producer on the planet and you’re out here knocking it around!”

"Right, I... I know..." Ruby coughed and pulled her sleeve over her nose.

“Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Ruby, who had received enough Dust to the face by that point, finally sneezed one of the greatest sneezes of her life. The force of it blew the volatile Dust particles right back at the girl, where they ignited in a large but otherwise harmless explosion. It left her flawless white dress and fair skin covered in black soot. She began to dust it off and barely contained her rage.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I’d expect from some brain-dead child!”

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby pleaded through a stuffy nose.

"Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, I-I..."

“This is the real deal, kid! Not just some entry-level combat school. We’re here to fight monsters. I don’t know about you though, if your coordination on the battlefield matches your ability to look where you’re even going.”

"Hey!” Ruby shouted, fed up with the spoiled brat, “I said I was sorry, princess!"

“Heiress. It’s heiress, actually,” announced a voice from afar. Both girls turned to see a dark-skinned young woman walk towards them. Silky black hair bounced with each step along with an oversized bow atop her head. “Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company” she said plainly.

“Finally,” Weiss smiled smugly, “some recognition!”

“One of the largest Dust producers in the world, hailing all the way from Atlas.”

“Precisely.”

The new girl shrugged and closed her eyes nonchalantly.

“The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners, not to mention the dangerous implications of a Dust monopoly on the world economy.”

"Wha- How dare you- The nerve of... Ugh!”

Weiss began to fume, which made Ruby chuckle. The black-haired girl offered her hand, when her tights-covered legs came into view, Ruby took it, hoisted to her feet by some hefty upper body strength. In contrast to Weiss, Blake boasted incredible height, and in contrast to Yang, all of her muscle came in toned, smooth arms.

The rich girl scowled and snapped her fingers. A couple of servants came and collected the suitcases on the ground. She walked alongside her luggage cart as her servants rolled it off, but her thousand-yard grouchy stare stuck to the black-clad girl the whole time.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby yelled after Weiss. With all said and done, she really did not want to make any enemies. “And thanks for the backup,” she said to the other girl, “guess I’m not the only one having a rough first day…” She turned to what she hoped could flourish into a new friend. “I’m Ruby! What’s your name?”

“Oh, uh” she seemed taken aback by the question. “I’m-”

“Hey! What did Sneezy get herself into over here?”

They both looked over to a young man who came towards the soot-stained area of the courtyard. Dirty blond hair with unremarkable clothing. Jeans and a beat-up shirt under some white chest and shoulder armor. Skin tanned, like a farm hand. His cheek bones poked through and gave him a rather gaunt and lanky appearance.

“Excuse me?”

“I heard what you said earlier about ‘Vomit Boy.’ Don’t I owe you a nickname?”

Oh, Ruby noticed, she had definitely made fun of this guy earlier.

“The name’s Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue; ladies love it.”

“Do they?” Asked the black-haired girl rather flatly. She put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow. Ruby noticed a black ribbon wrapped up her forearm.

“Th-they will,” Jaune stammered, “my mom always said…never mind.”

“My real name is Ruby.” Ruby said, “nice to meet you.”

The other girl began to finally get her introduction in.

“I’m-”

“Woah! What’s that?” Ruby interjected again as she spotted what that ribbon attached to; a black rectangular sheath with a sharpened edge strapped to the back of the girl’s waist. “Is that your weapon?”

“It’s, uh…”

“Is it a gun? A sword? A gun-sword?!”

“It’s more of a-”

“And is the sheath a sword too? Wow! And that ribbon ties it all together. Is it elastic or something so you can slingshot it around?”

“I’d rather just-”

“You know,” Jaune cut in, “I have a weapon too.”

“Don’t we all?” Ruby asked, and grabbed _Crescent Rose_ from behind her back. She transformed it immediately and slammed the tip of the blade into the ground for balance. The gears and machinations at the base of the curved blade, as well as the Dust cartridge loaded up to the barrel made it impressive for reasons more than its size.

“Is that a giant scythe?” Jaune asked, intimidated.

“It’s also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle.”

“A…. a what?”

“It’s also a gun.” The black-haired girl clarified. Ruby cocked the rifle’s slide to agree. Despite Ruby’s enthusiastic smile, the other girl hardly seemed as dazzled as Jaune. “Isn’t something like that a little dangerous for someone of your…stature?”

“Well, maybe I went a little overboard when designing it.”

“You made that?” Jaune asked, shocked.

“Of course,” Ruby said, “all students at Signal forge their own weapons.”

“Oh, uh,” Jaune said, embarrassed, “I got this sword!” He unsheathed a simple one-handed sword from his belt. Other than its ancient gold cross guard, and laudy name, _Crocea Mors_ , it appeared unremarkable.

“Ooooh,” Ruby cooed, eager for some reveal.

“And this shield!” Surprisingly, the sword’s sheath unfolded and widened into a white shield with gold trim, which resembled the rest of Jaune’s armor. “My great-great-grandfather used it way back in the war. It gets smaller in case I get tired of carrying it so I can just sort of put it away.”

“But wouldn’t it weigh the same?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, a little put down, “it does.”

“Sounds like more of an heirloom to me,” Ruby chuckled. “Well, I like it. Not everyone has an appreciation for the classics. How about you, friend-”

To her surprise, the black-haired girl had vanished while they conversed over Jaune’s sword. Not a trace left.

“Shows concern and then runs off without warning,” Ruby mumbled, “she’d get along great with Yang. Didn’t even get her name!”

“You’ll hear it at some point,” Jaune assured.

“Maybe. I’d like to meet more friends than strangers though.” Not to mention more friends than bratty enemies.

"Eh, who knows, my mom always says 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"

"Hmm." Ruby looked around as students dispersed. "Hey, do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

"Oh, I don't know! I was following you. Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?”

Ruby giggled at the thought of them as two new students completely lost with zero help. Of course her day would end up like this and things would go disastrously badly!

“Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"

"Heheh, hah…That's a 'no.'"


	3. Childish Ambition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets to know her classmates a little better, even if they aren't totally willing.

Students gathered in Beacon Academy’s large auditorium for an opening assembly. Ruby and Jaune managed to join to the crowd once they saw first-yeats flood towards the innards of the school.

A couple hundred young potential Hunters stood in a high-ceilinged room. Spotlights beamed on a wide stage and speakers lined the walls. Ruby saw her sister on the edge of a cluster of socialites from back at Signal. The sight of a familiar face brought relief, if not a little annoyance for the abandonment.

“Oh, hey, I gotta go!” Ruby said to Jaune with a wave. “I’ll see you after the ceremony!” She added, aware of a need for companions, “We can hang out! Or something!”

The sudden farewell surprised Jaune, who had barely noticed Ruby leave in the first place. Her mad dash for her family and quick speech made his head spin.

“O-oh, okay! Bye…!” He sighed. “She thinks she has it bad, I can’t hold anyone’s attention for more than ten minutes. I gotta listen to Dad more…”

“Yang Xaio-Long!” She announced as she walked up to her.

“Oh hey, how’s your first day going, sis?” She waved happily, completely unaware of the trouble she experienced in such a short amount of time.

“You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?”

“Yikes,” she reeled, “meltdown already?”

“No, I mean literally exploded!” She ran a hand through her short hair and wanted to tug it out, “I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!”

“Aw, you’re making friends already!”

“You!”  
  
Ruby jumped, almost paralyzed by the familiar screech.

“Oh god it’s happening again!”  
  
“You’re lucky we weren’t blown off the side of the cliff!” Weiss warned.  
  
“Oh my god, you really exploded…” Yang did her best to contain laughter.  
  
“It was an accident! An accident!”

Weiss held up a pamphlet in front of Ruby’s face entitled “Dust for Dummies” and shoved it towards her hands.

“The Schnee Dust Company” she began, “is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field. Well-readiness in the field of Dust applications can lead to none or fewer legal issues with the Schnee Dust Company and its providers.”  
  
“Uuhhh...?” Ruby flicked her thumb through the thick booklet.

“I noticed your Dust cartridges,” Weiss said in reference to Ruby’s ammo belt. “Even if you do use an inferior and cheaper brand, that’s no reason you can’t familiarize yourself with proper safety protocol. For the sake of me and everyone at this school.”

“U-um, it’s not really all that ch-cheap-” Ruby spluttered. Weiss ignored this.  
  
“You really wanna start make things up to me, dolt?  
  
“Absolutely?”  
  
“Read this, and don't ever speak to me again.”

Yang sauntered between the two and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Weiss stepped back and Ruby smiled nervously.  
  
“Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?” She offered. Clearly this girl had no intention to let things go with her little sister.

“Yeah! Great idea, sis!” She cleared her throat and stuffed the pamphlet under her arm, then offered a hand to Weiss. “Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!”  
  
“Yeah!” Weiss exclaimed with sudden and obviously-not-forced enthusiasm. “And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!”

A couple dozen feet away Jaune thought he felt someone point at him.

“Wow, really?!” Ruby asked, far too optimistic for Weiss’s sense of humor.  
  
Weiss offered no response but dead silence and a very disgruntled glare.

A man walked on stage and the room began to quiet down. Ruby squinted and saw none other than Professor Ozpin make his way to a microphone stand with Professor Goodwitch in tow. Ozpin seemed to stand with regal straightness despite reliance on a cane. For that matter, Ruby felt like his eyes lingered on her for just a moment despite his sweeping, aloof gaze. A very unsettling, ghostly presence. He quietly adjusted the microphone to his height, and gave a slight cough to draw the crowd.

“That’s the Headmaster, he’s who I met,” Ruby whispered to Yang excitedly.

Weiss shushed her from afar but neither sister paid her mind.  
  
“I'll...keep this brief,” Ozpin said, and pushed his glasses up his nose. He had a calm and reserved voice that hardly sounded right as it boomed from above. “You have traveled here today in search of knowledge; to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people of Remnant. But I look amongst you today, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction.”

Murmurs spread among the students. He hardly spoke with enthusiasm or even sounded as if he believed in them.

“You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.” He cleared his throat and moved away from the microphone, then gave one last sweeping glance across the auditorium before he made way for Glynda to take his place.

“You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready.” She made the prospect sound grim. “Then you will be assigned your permanent rooming. You are dismissed.”  
  
“Kind of a creepy guy, huh?” Yang asked, hardly respectful without the experience Ruby had.

“Hey, he’s just a little strange. I promise he’s got it together more in person.”

“Didn’t sound all there to me.”

“Maybe he’s getting on in years,” interrupted Jaune Arc, who appeared between them. “You know, my grandpa hasn’t been able to tell me or my sisters apart since I was six.”

“ _Jaune_.”

* * *

 

Pyrrha Nikos commanded attention wherever she went. The young girl wished to keep things quiet on her first day at Beacon, but students who had heard of her fighting prowess and seen her face from magazine to cereal box refused to give her that peace. Weiss Schnee, the queen of entitlement, hardly attracted a crowd herself but made sure to make herself the forefront of Pyrrha’s followers.  
  
“Oh, Pyrrha, your gown looks simply divine!”

Weiss kicked off a torrent of compliments, even though her night garb advertised nothing but modesty. Ironically the white-haired girl dressed richly and without shame of her wealth. Hundred-yard stares of awe and envy showered her every move. Everyone in the ballroom must have gawked to some extent; all except that scraggly blond boy who cluelessly wondered what made all the ruckus.

At a quieter corner, Ruby laid on her stomach on a sleeping bag in pyjama pants and a sleeveless shirt, fingers at work on her scroll. The small, flat electronic device let her type away at a lengthy email to her friends back on the island of Patch. Yang crashed next to her, dressed in a stripped-down version of her daily attire. She wore her high spirits in plain sight.  
“It's like a big slumber party!”

“Mhm,” agreed Ruby, who didn’t look up, “I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though.

“I know I do!” She purred seductively through her teeth. Several shirtless guys had taken the opportunity to flaunt themselves before they turned in.

“Oh come on, after your sixteenth birthday, I don’t think he’d want you having sleepovers anymore.”

“Ah yes, Lilac,” she reminisced. “Really made it a ‘sweet’ sixteen.”

“Gross,” Ruby shuddered.

“Is it really that much more gross than the time I walked in on you polishing _Crescent Rose_?”

“It’s very different!”

That comment earned Yang a pillow to the face, but she laughed it off.

“Whatcha writing?” Yang asked, head tilted towards the scroll.

“Just a letter to the gang back home. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going.”  
  
“Aw, that's so cuuuute!” She admired how small and adorable her sister looked on a sleeping bag that she could get lost in. Being such a good friend to all the kids at Signal only added on.

“Shut up! I told you, I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here.”  
  
“What about Jaune? He's...he’s nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!”  
  
Ruby turned onto her back and sighed. She played with the band on her sleeping mask and gave it a good few snaps.

“Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero…”  
  
“There's no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!” She took another pillow to the face, but this one had less fun behind it.” Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!”  
  
Ruby rolled her eyes at the generic bought of confidence. As it happened though, that brought her gaze to a girl in sleek, silk pyjamas who sat near a window by herself, face buried in a book. Ruby recognized the black motif.  
  
“That girl…”  
  
“You know her?” Yang asked.  
  
“Kind of,” Ruby explained. “She was around when I blew up Weiss earlier, but didn’t stick around much. I didn’t even get her name.”  
  
“Well!” Yang declared as she grabbed Ruby by the arm, “now’s the time to hear it!”

The shorter sister squirmed against Yang’s grip, but she had far more strength than ten Ruby’s combined.  
  
“Wait!” she grunted, “what are you doing?!”  
  
The girl looked over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggle against Yang as she leads her sister over to spot below a vast ballroom window.  
  
“Hel-looooo! “ Yang sang, “I believe you two may know each other?”

“Ruby, right.” She put her book in her lap and leaned back. “You exploded earlier and got that Schnee pissed off.”

“Uh, um…yes?”

“Made for a pretty good first day,” she said with a smirk.  
  
“See? She likes you,” Yang whispered as she nudged Ruby. “Keep it up!”

“I don’t know what to say!” She hissed back, glad that she had the girl’s approval but completely lost on what conversation to make.

Yang gave another less playful nudge and continued the conversation for her sister.

“So... What's your name?”  
  
“Blake,” she sighed. She had just began to pick up her book when Yang asked.  
  
“Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!  
  
“Thanks,” Blake said, a little irritated now.  
  
“It goes great with your, ya’know, pajamas!”  
  
“Mm..?” Blake tilted her head, impatient for them to either get on with the conversation or leave her be. Yang thought she even saw the bow twitch with annoyance. Ruby laughed uncomfortably as Yang continued to throw out topics.  
  
“Nice night, right…?”  
  
“Yes, it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book! That I will continue to read,” she nodded her head towards the rest of the room, “once you two are on your way.”  
  
“Alright, this girl’s a lost cause,” Yang decided, and threw her hands in the air.  
  
“What's it about?” Ruby asked.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Your book,” Ruby clarified, “what’s it about?”  
  
“Well...i-it’s a story based on the legend of the man who stole the moon.”  
  
“Oh, that’s real lovely,” Yang said sarcastically.  
  
“I always loved books,” Ruby said to brush off her sister, “Yang used to read me those stories of heroes and monsters before bed. It’s part of the reason I wanted to become a Huntress.”  
  
Blake laughed a little, but not totally out of fondness.

“And why’s that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?”  
  
“That’s the plan. I wanted to be a real hero who protected those who couldn’t protect themselves.”  
  
“That's... very ambitious for a child,” she complimented, then frowned, “but, the real world isn’t like a fairy tale you know.”  
  
“Well, that's why we're here. To make it better.”  
  
“Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!” Yang coddled. She smothered Ruby with a tight hug, which she valiantly fought and lost against.

“Cut it out!”

Ruby kicked at Yang’s legs to knock her down and they ended up in a pile on the floor. Somehow Yang’s hug turned into a headlock and soon enough sleeping bags were tossed tangled beneath them and pillows flew across the room. Blake sunk into her place against the wall further as eyes turned on the arguing sisters.  
  
“What in the world is going on over here?!” No one but Weiss Schnee stormed in on the scene. “Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep-”  
  
Yang and Weiss locked eyes, fed up with each others presence.

“Oh, not you again!” They both shouted in exasperation.  
  
“Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!”  
  
“Oh, now you're on my side!”  
  
“I was _always_ on your side!”  
  
“Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!”  
  
“She's a hazard to my health!”  
  
Blake sighed and closed her book for good. She had been ripped from her peaceful night but couldn’t say the bickering didn’t entertain her some, especially with Weiss angry at an innocent Ruby. Something about the way that girl got worked up gave her a deep satisfaction, but that she would keep to herself.


	4. The First Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All eight students we've come to know and love prepare for the big day where they'll be separated into their teams for the next four years to come.

“Wake up, lazy bud!”

Nora Valkyrie was more than ready to wake up her best friend Ren from his first sleep in Beacon. He opened his eyes, only for them to be met by her bubbly personality and mops of bright orange hair. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, but Nora hounded him in a sing-song voice.

“It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!”  
  
She kept on like this, even when Ren started to brush his teeth a whole ten minutes later.  
  
“I can't believe we made it through our first night at Beacon! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm, well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?”  
  
In the ballroom, where they packed their things, Nora brushed her hair and kept talking through every knot she pulled apart. The room had emptied significantly as the first flight of first-years had already begun their initiation.  
  
“We've been friends for so long! What are the odds we’d make it in together? Well, not ‘together-together.’ Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right? Anyway....” 

At breakfast, she could barely keep her mouth closed.  
  
“I hope we end up on the same team together!” she rambled, stuffed with food. “Oh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together!” She banged her fist on the table. “What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has the school.”  
  
In the locker room before initiation, Ren loaded a Dust cartridge into one of his automatic pistols. When done, it retracted under his sleeve. Nora snuck up behind him with the latest iteration of her plan.  
  
“I got it! We'll have some sort of signal! Like, a secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?”  
  
“Nora?” Ren finally replied.  
  
“Yes, Ren?”  
  
“I don't think sloths make a lot of noise.” 

This quieted her for a moment. Only for a moment.

“That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!”  
  
“Come on Nora, let's go,” he said with a smile. 

She slung an enormous warhammer over her shoulder and followed.

“Not ‘together-together…’" She giggled.

On the other side of the room, Ruby and her sister packed their new lockers with extra ammo and supplies and readied their weapons for use in the field.

“You seem awfully chipper this morning,” Yang said.  
  
“Yep! No more awkward small talk or ‘getting-to-know-you’ stuff.” She unhitched her scythe’s rifle from off her back and cradled it. “Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking.”

She stroked Crescent Rose in a manner that made Yang slightly uncomfortable but hardly any more than the sort of things she had seen before.  
  
“Well...remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna make it big, you gotta meet some new people. Getting along with them won’t hurt either.”

“Are you implying I’m bad at making friends?”

“I’m implying that maybe you need to mature up your act a bit. Greet someone like you’re an adult! It’s what we did with bookworm last night, except, you know, it’ll be with someone decent so it’ll work.”

“I heard that,” Blake said flatly from a nearby bench. Yang could not say she didn’t see her there, and she rolled her eyes.

“Real mature,” Ruby mocked.

“Look,” Yang said, “it’s an opportunity to grow up and meet people, what’s wrong with that?”

“You sound like Dad!” she sighed. “Okay, first of all, what does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!”  
  
“But what about when we form teams?” Yang asked through her teeth.  
  
“I figured I’d just be on a team with....you?” Ruby said. She noticed Yang’s tone and turned anxious. Yang played with a gold lock of hair and avoided eye contact.  
  
“Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?”  
  
“My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?”  
  
“Ruby I’d love it, but, you know, this could always help you break out of your shell!”  
  
“What? I don't need to 'break out of my shell!' That's absolutely ridiculous! It’s not like your friends are even in this flight or anything.”

Yang sighed, she had a point. Somehow no one she knew from Signal made it into their initiation group. Incredibly lame. What horrible force in the universe opened the potential to team up with Jaune or Weiss or Blake but not her actual friends?

In the adjacent row of lockers, Pyrrha Nikos had Weiss right on her heels.

“So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!”  
  
“Hmm…” Her voice, humble, came out shaky as she processed all the attention. “I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may.”  
  
“Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together.” Weiss said, without any alterior motive.  
  
“Well, that sounds grand!” Pyrrha laughed.  
  
“Great!” 

Clearly Weiss took the admittance much more seriously than Pyrrha had intended it to sound. The corners of her mouth curled into a devious smirk as she thought, perfect, with their powers combined they will own the school! Pyrrha’s strength with her smarts could only result in the best team-up possible. Popularity! Celebrity status! Perfect grades  
  
“You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you.”

Weiss scowled, her fantasy ruined by tall, blond, and scraggly. Pyrrha however found the introduction charming enough to warrant a quiet laugh.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Arc!”

“Pyrrha,” Weiss pleaded, “please don’t-”

Jaune nudged past Pyrrha to get closer to Weiss.

“Oh, but Miss Schnee, I couldn’t help but notice you noticing me the other day.”  
  
“You’re kidding me.”  
  
“Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! Now, I’ve been hearing rumors about teams and was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?”

Pyrrha nudged her way back into the conversation, stood at Weiss’s side in an attempt to flag down the boy’s attention.

“Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-”  
  
“You don't say.” Jaune set his sights on Pyrrha, “Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team.” 

Weiss frustratingly shook her head and mouthed a few choice words at Jaune. She stepped in front of him and Pyrrha and pushed them apart. The image of the short girl wedged between her more muscular classmates could crack even Ren’s stoic disposition.

“Look,” Weiss said as she flicked her hand across Jaune’s breastplate, “Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?”  
  
“Not in the slightest, Snow Angel.” He did his best to keep cool despite his complete ignorance.

“This is Pyrrha.”  
  
“Hello again!” she waved.  
  
“Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!”  
  
“That’s in Mistral, right?”

Weiss scoffed. Clearly the densest person she had ever met..  
  
“She's won the Mistral Region Tournaments five years in a row! A new record!”  
  
“The what?” 

At this point, Weiss flailed her arms in anger. She really dropped all pretense of the calm and polite charade she had built up for Pyrrha.

“She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!”  
  
“That's you?!” Jaune asked in bewilderment. “But they only do that for famous athletes and cartoon characters!”  
  
“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” she shared. “Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you.”  
  
“Do you really think you’re in the position to ask Pyrrha Nikos to be on your team?” Weiss asked him.  
  
“I guess...not?” He hung his head. “Sorry.”  
  
“Oh, I’m sure you’d make a great leader Jaune!” Pyrrha assured. 

Jaune brightened back up almost immediately.

“Oh, stop it!”  
  
“Seriously,” Weiss demanded, “please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!” 

But the demand went unnoticed by Jaune and Pyrrha who, much to Weiss’s chagrin, appeared to carelessly flirt rather than pay any attention to her.

“Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings and find a place for you. What’d ya say?”  
  
Weiss looked rather nauseated as Jaune stepped just a little too far into her personal space.

“Alright, that’s a bit too close. Pyrrha! Help, please?”  
  
In the blink of an eye, a round, bronze shield slammed into Jaune’s chest. He staggered backwards into a locker. He swore it just flew at him without anyone behind it.  
  
“I’m sorry!” Pyrrha called out, though she still wore a rather amorous smile that Jaune failed to see.  
  
An announcement played on the intercom system. Glynda’s voice boomed.

“All first-years in the 1 PM initiation flight please assemble at the Beacon Cliffs. All first-years in the 1 PM flight. Thank you.”  
  
Weiss flaunted past Jaune, followed by Pyrrha, who plucked her shield from his grasp.

“It was nice meeting you!” She smiled.  
  
“Likewise…” He slumped against the locker.

Yang and Ruby appeared from their row. The older sister gave him a stiff pat on the shoulder while Ruby offered her hand to help him up.

“Having some trouble there, lady-killer?”  
  
“I don’t get it. Women love confidence! Where did I go wrong?”  
  
“‘Snow Angel’ probably wasn’t the best start,” mocked Blake as she walked by. Yang nodded in agreement, and Jaune sighed in defeat.

* * *

 

Beacon Cliff overlooked a vast and beautiful forest on the outside edge of the academy. At the top of that Cliff, around two dozen students had lined up, ready for their initiation. Each of them occupied a metallic tile on the ground on front Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch. Ozpin held a mug while Glynda held a tablet that would monitor the students.

“For years you have trained to become warriors. Today, those abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest.”

Ruby, while prepared to viciously attack whatever would get in her way, felt adrenaline rush in her chest. Not just because of her excitement but because they would be separated into teams any minute.

“Now,” Glynda announced, “I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. You will find your teammates as soon as you step into the forest.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon,” Ozpin continued. “So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well.” He put on a small and devious smirk. “That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.”  
  
“What!?” Ruby screeched, far less silent this time.  
  
“See?” called out Nora, “I told you!”  
  
“After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will find an abandoned temple at the far end containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return back to the top of the cliff. The relics you choose will decide how partners are paired together, forming your full team.”

A low rumbling echoed from below the ground. The metallic plates on which the students stood began to hum like a car engine.

“You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die.”  
  
A murmur overcame the crowd after that statement. One of disbelief but also readiness. Jaune in particular laughed nervously. Yang cracked her knuckles. Weiss flipped her hair.  
  
“You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. Are there any questions?”  
  
“Yeah, um, sir?” Jaune piped up, hand raised.  
  
“Good! Now, take your positions.”  
  
Everyone had no idea what this meant, but on the far left of the row of tiles, one student inexplicably launched right into the air towards the forest. They screamed in horror. As the rumbling grew louder, each struck a pose rather than cower. Nora crouched low while Ren unsheathed the pistols from his sleeves. Their tiles launched them off. Pyrrha reached for her shield and Blake looked ready to pounce. Another pair into the wild. Ruby readied her scythe. Jaune still had his hand up.  
  
“Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question.”

“You’ve got about thirty seconds.”

After a few more students, Weiss’s tile sprung up. Her graceful pose didn’t even break.

“So, this landing strategy thing... wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?  
  
“No. You will be falling.”

Yang flipped a pair of aviators on. Her panel launched and she gleefully whooped as she rocketed off.  
  
“Oh, I see. I didn’t miss you handing out parachutes, did I…?”  
  
“No. You will be using your own landing strategy.”  
  
“Right, yeah…”  
  
Ruby blasted into the air, scythe in tow, and cape rippled in the wind.  
  
“So, what exactly is a landing strate-”  
  
But he lost the opportunity to finish his sentence when he joined the cloud of students falling through the sky.

Ozpin took a sip of his drink and admired the view.


	5. Crash Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emerald Forest is full of danger and intrigue, and for Ruby Rose, potential teammates. Will she find her sister, Jaune, Blake, or someone worse?

Around two dozen students soared through the air above a lush green forest. Only at Beacon Academy. Fortunately, the majority of them had methods to avoid a crash landing.

Ruby Rose flew with a firm grip on her scythe. She aimed it towards the ground and pulled the trigger several times to fire shots downward and slow her descent.

Yang dove headfirst into the trees with her gauntlets outstretched. She burst through the canopy and turned branches to splinters before she finally grabbed a sturdy one. Like a gymnast, she expertly swung from one branch to another until she had flung herself low enough to safely crash into a large bush.

“Nailed it!”

As Weiss came towards the trees, she waved her weapon, a rapier, to conjure flat, white sigils under her feet. She hopped from one to the other until she reached the ground and gingerly brushed off her dress.

Blake and Ren drove the blades of their weapons into thick tree trunks to break their momentum.  
  
Pyrrha, her variable weapon in sword form, crashed through several trees, tucked behind a shield, and rolled onto a wide branch. Immediately, she shifted the sword into a mechanical spear, and carefully aimed its tip towards Jaune as he continued to scream and fall helplessly. With a strong throw, the spear rocketed across the sky after the ragdoll of a boy. Far in the distance, a loud thunk signaled that it pinned something or someone to a tree.

As soon as it left her grasp, she cupped a hand to her mouth.

“I’m sorry!” she called, then broke into a laugh.  
  
The skies clear, the forest buzzed with the sound of exasperated students. The few unprepared ones had a nasty fall but their Auras would protect them from serious injury. They would then venture deeper into the forest to find the relic needed to complete their initiation. Ruby landed neatly in a crouch, but darted off with a different objective in mind.  
  
_Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta…_

“Yang! Yaaaang!”

_Oh, this is bad, this is really bad. What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! Doesn’t seem like he’d be good in a fight. What about Blake? So mysterious, so calm. Plus she likes books! I like books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her. Ugh! Okay, who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, and..._

She vaulted over a downed tree trunk and burst through a large bush, only to come face-to-face with the last person with whom she wanted to team up. Blue eyes, stark white hair, a distinct scar on her face; Weiss Schnee.

“Oh no.”

Weiss looked her straight in the eye, stunned and frozen in place from the sheer irony of the situation. It took what felt like an hour for her to finally blink, then turn on one heel and march off. Ruby, paranoid about the teachers watching them, knew she couldn’t back down now.

“Wait! Come back!”

Weiss quickened her pace. She grunted with each twig that snagged on her skirt, barely able to contain her disgust that she might get paired up with that child. Disgraceful. She came to Beacon specifically to avoid that kind of stress. An esteemed combat academy, full of accomplished students, and she runs into that little red pest! Nope. No. Just a bust. She would mulligan. The next person she saw she would partner with.  
  
“Come on, come on! Stupid...!” Someone struggled above.

She looked up. Above her head, Jaune dangled by his hood, speared by Pyrrha’s weapon. He gave an embarrassed wave.

“Little help, partner?”

Without a hitch Weiss reversed direction and went back to Ruby. She would give her one chance. Just one. Sure, kids act out of control, but she could count on this one’s impressionability. Weiss could easily mentor Ruby. After all, everyone will look up to her when she rises to team leader. Her brains and status combined, Team Weiss could rule the school. How resourceful of her to map this all out!  
  
“You came back!” Ruby exclaimed, overjoyed.

“By no means does this make us friends,” Weiss warned. “Just listen to me and let’s wrap this mission up.”

Jaune helplessly watched Weiss leave and tried to flag her down for help.

“Wait! Come back! I need help getting down!”

With his attention on the departing red and white couple, he did not notice a new potential savior arrive at the base of the tree; a certain red-haired famed athlete.  
  
"Jaune?"

“Pyrrha!” He sighed loudly in relief.

"Do you... have any spots left on your team?"  
  
Jaune crossed his arms.

“Very funny.”

But she smiled up at him, a gesture he returned.

* * *

 Weiss trudged through the forest with Ruby in tow. She huffed and stomped at every twig that snagged on her skirt or every muddy spot on the ground that her heels sunk into.  
  
“Jeez, what's the hurry?” Ruby asked. She knew they had a job to do but this seemed ridiculous.  
  
“I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your-”

In a flash, Ruby zipped from behind Weiss to her side.

“What the?!”  
  
“I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!”

Weiss still had to process Ruby’s superhuman speed. She had never seen a Semblance like it.

“When did...?”  
  
“Hey,” Ruby explained, “just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!” She put an arm around Weiss’s shoulders, who took a small step away. “You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and when it's all over, you're gonna be like, ‘Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool, _and_ I wanna be her friend.’"

Ruby zoomed off, a shower of rose petals left in her wake. Weiss, annoyed, waved them out of her face.

“You might be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!”

Once the dust had settled, Weiss saw no sign of her other half. Rustling and crackling sounds came from the bushes, and Weiss immediately assumed some kind of trick on Ruby’s part.  
  
“Ruby?”

Deep growls came from the bushes at multiple angles. Definitely not her partner.

“Ruby!” Weiss called. Not that she desperately needed her, but the numbers did not benefit her. Tall, ghoulish figures stalked from out of the brush.

Beowulves. Creatures of Grimm. A full pack. Black furry beasts that stood on hind legs with vicious claws that waited to tear into flesh. Protrusions of bone stuck out at random all over their bodies, and this showed most on their faces; bone masks shaped like crude skulls, complete with sharp teeth. Blood-red markings decorated their masks to add to their fearsomeness. They growled and grunted towards one another before they set their sights on the Huntress-in-training. Horrible red eyes beamed from several directions. Weiss gulped and assumed her stance.

She pulled out her sword, _Myrtenaster_. A rapier of intricate design and a heavy, bell-shaped crossguard. The blade doubled as something like a revolver and could fire chosen types of Dust on command. She even wore it on her left hip, prepared to wield it in her left hand like gun before a sword.

_Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward… not that forward! Slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike… Now!_

Above the hilt of her rapier, a barrel clicked and rotated a vial of red Dust locked into place. Weiss prepared to fire, but her preparations distracted her from a new roar behind her. A snarling Grimm had snuck up on her.

“Look out!”

“Wha-?!”

Weiss saw Ruby appear in the corner of her eye. She dashed from the nearby bushes with her scythe armed. She kicked off the ground and swung her scythe down on the neck of the Beowolf. Ruby arced upwards and wrung the neck of the beast as if to twist its head off like a bottlecap. With a loss of momentum at the top of her jump, Ruby pulled the trigger on the rifle component, which slammed the Grimm’s neck between the blade and barrel. It snapped clean off. Black goo splattered on both Ruby and Weiss, which left them tattered in the oily substance as well as Ruby’s petals.

The shock of Ruby’s appearance made Weiss whip her sword carelessly to the side. A blaze of fiery Dust spewed from the tip towards a nearby tree. It went up in flames almost instantly. The Beowulves howled and regrouped as the fire spread to the next tree over. The entire clearing stood in danger of the blaze.  
  
“What was that?!” Ruby shouted.  
  
“Excuse me! You attacked out of turn!”

“Out of what?!”

“I could have killed you!”

“You'll have to try a lot harder than that.” Ruby mumbled.

Beowolves whined and growled around them. Ruby reloaded her scythe just as a flaming tree fell near them.

“We have to go!” Weiss said and grabbed Ruby’s arm. They both ran as far from the fire as they could and only stopped when the howling and smell of smoke died down.

Ruby leaned against a tree while Weiss panted from the running.  
  
“That should've been easy.” She said, arms up in bewilderment.  
  
“Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution when attacking so close to me, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire.”  
  
“You were almost Grimm chow!”  
  
Weiss gritted her teeth. Strike one. She needed no more to go ballistic on this girl.

“I’m just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!”  
  
“Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight.”

“As if you’d do any better!”

”I'm just fine on my own!”

“You’re just a kid!”

“Who’s here because Ozpin knew I could fight!”

“Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to cheat your way into Beacon. Bravo!” She clapped her hands together. Weiss then walked off on her partner yet again.

Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolded _Crescent Rose_ and sliced a tree down to the stump. As the tree crashed down behind her, she begrudgingly followed Weiss. In their collective anger, neither had noticed the large black feathers that littered the area.


	6. Aura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Weiss deal with their forced relationship, Yang gets into a tussle of her own, and Pyrrha explains one of the aspects that makes the world of Remnant tick.

In another part of the forest, Yang Xiao-Long navigated the underbrush without the pleasure of any company. Not even any monsters to fight; just the caw of crows and chatter of small, harmless wildlife.

“Is anyone out there?” She called out.

The bushes rustled. A figured ducked behind a tree to evade Yang’s sight. Something stalked her as she progressed to her destination.

“Hello?” She stopped, exasperated, and raised her arms. “I’m getting bored here!”

The rustling continued, but this time Yang noticed.

“Is someone there?” she asked. “Ruby, is that you?”

A growl came from out of the darkness. She bit her tongue.

“Nope.”

A hulking Grimm emerged; an Ursa. The bear-like monster neared Yang on all fours.

“You wouldn’t happen to have seen a girl in a red cape, would you?”

The Ursa roared, and reared on its hind legs before it charged towards Yang. Grunts and rugged breathing accompanied its heavy gallop.

“Could just say no!” she said under her breath.

As it came close, Yang rolled to the side. Once she got up she primed her gauntlets, Ember Celica, a pair of yellow armguards loaded with belts of explosive Dust ammunition. With a foot planted to the ground, she reeled back her arm and delivered a bunch squarely into the Ursa’s flank. Her gauntlet cracked like a shotgun on contact; the Dust gave it extra power. The beast wailed in pain and tumbled over.

Without warning, a second Ursa charged from the bushes. Yang set her sights on it, ready for action. Her eyes had gone from violet to a reddish hue in her fervor, and her golden hair appeared to burn a brighter shade. Her Aura flared to life in the heat of battle.

No dodging this time. Yang waited for the Ursa to come just close enough and hammered a punch downward onto the bear’s head. Another crack, but this one due to the shatter of the Ursa’s boney mask and skull. Yang punched it another time on the nose to be sure, and then once more with an uppercut. She rather aggressively smashed its head until black, viscous blood splattered onto her hair.   
  
“How about that?!” she shouted as she pummeled the Ursa into submission. Distracted by the beat-down, she did not notice the Grimm she had previously smacked sneak up on her with a vengeance. It stood on its back legs with intimidating height, and Yang only barely noticed its presence when its shadow stretched over her.

Before Yang could do anything, the Ursa lurched to a stop, silent. Surprised, Yang stood still, fists clenched. Black sludge oozed down its face. The Grimm teetered, then fell to the side, which revealed the cause of its demise: a short blade stuck in the back of its head. Above the Grimm stood Blake Belladona, who retrieved and sheathed her sword.

Yang pointed at Blake and winked.

“Lost Cause?”

“Ruby’s Sister,” she greeted back.

Yang flipped her hair and gave the downed Grimm a kick.

“I coulda taken him.”

* * *

 

Pyrrha trekked through the forest with Jaune in tow. Even in heavy armor and delicate footwear, she navigated the course forest floor with ease. She had calculated the approximate direction of the abandoned temple by placement of the sun and where they began on the cliff. With spear and shield, she could defend herself from any surprise attacks.

Jaune, meanwhile, had not the slightest clue where they should go and followed Pyrrha since her competence seemed to physically outweigh his own. He would trip over roots and rocks and flinch at the sound of any animal for fear of Grimm. Still, he went on without complaint. It took until Pyrrha pushed a long twig out of her way for them to stop. Once she let go, it slung back and struck Jaune right in the face.

“Ah!” he shouted. He held a hand over his right cheek.

“Jaune! I’m sorry.”

“It’s just a scratch, don’t worry about it.” He removed his hand, which revealed a small cut.

“Yeah it  _ was _ just a scratch,” she confirmed, rather incredulously. “Why didn’t your Aura protect you?”

“Oh, uh, I’ve never been too good at using it.” He scratched his head and looked down.

“It’s not a matter of ‘using’ it, it’s part of you. Part of your soul. You can’t just not use it.”

“Well, I guess my soul is just cruddy.”

“Don’t say that!” she snapped. “You’ve got to have some access to it. Aura is a conduit for our weapons and even Dust! How could you...oh.”

Jaune had nonchalantly drawn his sword and held it on display. Pyrrha noticed its simplistic design and lack of any alternate form.  _ Crocea Mors _ had to be one of the most archaic weapons she had laid eyes on in her lifetime. The sword and shield retracted not by the exertion of Aura, but by the press of a button. Purely mechanical. The tools dated back decades. No second form to take like Pyrrha’s spear,  _ Miló, _ no Dust used as ammunition like  _ Myrtenaster _ , and nothing triggered by force of will like Ren’s  _ Stormflower _ .

“My Aura’s never fully manifested,” he sighed. “I don’t know why.”

“Does that mean you’ve never discovered your Semblance?” She asked. The two go hand-in-hand, after all. Aura fuels Semblance which takes form in accordance with a person’s unique soul.

“Yeah,” he admitted.

“How did you even enroll in Beacon?” Even someone has polite as Pyrrha had to scoff at this. “You barely sound fit to fight.”

“My, uh, test scores were just that good I guess.”

“They had to be  _ really _ damn good, Jaune.”

“Well I don’t like to brag, but where the Arc fight prowess passed me up, I was blessed with the mind of a true tactician. You know, strategy, battlefield analysis-”

“I know what a tactician is, Jaune.”

“And everyone else is gonna know who this tactician is.” He pointed his thumb towards himself.

“Is that the master plan?”

“You got it.”

“Still, it seems dangerous walking around here with no Aura. Why don’t you try and muster up some of it?”

“I know it’s not gonna work, but, for you, anything.”

“Focus. Your Aura is a projection of your soul. Your soul is what makes you human; makes you a being of good and gives you a sense of justice.” She placed her palm on his chest, and after a moment, he leaned into it. “Dig down deep inside until you find that warmth that’s unique to you. The light in the dark. It is our eternal life force. With it, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death.”

They both stood quietly for a minute. Birds chirped and leaves rustled in the wind. 

“Did you memorize that speech?”

“Just focus.”

“I know, I know. I think I feel something.”

And it appeared he did. A faint, yellow light surrounded Jaune. An aura of warmth and purity. His Aura. The small cut on his cheek began to close up and heal without the formation of a scab or any further bleeding. Pyrrha watched it happen, impressed.

“Next thing you know you’ll be harnessing your Semblance.”

“It’s only the second day.”

“And look how far you’ve come!”

They walked on for half an hour and found nothing notable, fortunate enough to not run into any Grimm. Eventually they saw a cave on the side of a rocky hill.

“Think that’s it?” Jaune asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s worth a shot. Kind of dark though.”

Pyrrha reached under the sash on her waist for a small cartridge of Dust bullets. As  _ Miló _ had a rifle form, she always had them on her. She produced one of the bullets from the container and held it up. In her hand, the Dust inside began to glow a deep red, ignited by Pyrrha’s Aura but not to the extent that it would explode. The light filled the cave’s entrance, and she ushered Jaune to follow.

“Show-off.”

“Shush.”

Something ahead gleamed in the light of the Dust.

“Hey,” Jaune pointed out, “I think-”

* * *

 

“That’s it!”

Weiss had just tried to use moss on a tree to direct them towards the temple when Ruby finally broke.   


“What?” the rich girl spat back.

“Why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?”   
  
_ “Because _ I know exactly where we're going! We're going to...the forest temple!”   
  
Ruby placed a hand to her forehead, frustrated.   
  
“Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!”   
  
“Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything!”   
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"   
  
“It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!” Ruby shouted.   


Weiss sneered and then shook her head. She spun and started to walk.   


“Just keep moving!”   
  
“Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up!” Ruby mocked in a high-pitched, whiny voice. “Why are you so bossy?”   
  
“I am not. Don't say things like that!”   
  
“Stop telling me what to do! Don’t treat me like some kid!!”   
  
“Stop acting like a kid!”   
  
“Well, stop acting like you're perfect!”   
  
“I’m not perfect!” She pointed a finger at Ruby, eyes narrowed. “Not yet. But I'm still leagues better than you.”   
  
Ruby felt dejected, but nowhere near deterred. She marches after Weiss.

Up ahead, the forest opened up into a wide, circular clearing. The trees parted and the forest floor had been decorated with bundles of sticks and debris. It seemed eerily quiet. Ruby and Weiss crept into the circle, cautious of Grimm in a place with no cover.

At the center of the foliage, a group of round, white objects laid together in a pile, each one no bigger than their heads.

“Look,” Ruby whispered, “think those are the relics?”

Weiss had her doubts.

“This isn’t exactly a temple.”

“Ozpin said an  _ abandoned _ temple. Maybe it burned down or something.”

At the center, Ruby picked up one of her supposed relics. She felt up its smooth, ovular form.

“Looks like an egg,” Weiss observed.

“Feels like one.”

Without provocation, dozens of birds scattered from the forest around them, as if startled by something. It left the atmosphere quiet and unnerving. Weiss was about to point out that they should leave when a loud caw shook the air.

“This isn’t the temple,” Weiss hissed, “it’s a nest.”

The caw turned into a screech, and a shadow blotted out the sun. Both girls looked up to see a giant, bird-shaped figure in the sky. The figure, in fact, was nothing but a giant bird. A Grimm. A nasty, powerful species called a Nevermore. Its red eyes could see the tiny humans from the sky, and no doubt could track them through the trees. Ruby very tenderly placed the egg back into the nest, and the two high-tailed it into the wilderness.


	7. Players and Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our main group have finally gathered in the Emerald Forest with mysterious relics in tow. The question now it, can they escape with their lives and more importantly, a passing grade?

From the forest, Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna stepped out into a clearing that contained a vast array of stone ruins. This included a very prominently-displayed temple at its center.

“This looks like it,” Yang announced. “Pretty run-down, huh?”

A vast cobblestone plaza spread out before the temple itself. Grass and saplings had sprouted from between the tiles, and some spots had nothing but dirt. Some spots clearly had buildings at one point in time. Opposite the temple, a stone road cut through the forest; a path they really wished they had landed nearer to, but it would make for an easy walk back to the cliffs. They proceeded up a tall flight of stairs to the central altar.

Old and large and made of stone, half its walls and the top had collapsed or been blown off. Large columns still stood in a circle around them. The main room they walked into had a circular pattern of pedestals that matched the shape of the temple. On the floor, an enormous carved crescent moon with intricate, worn decorations around the edge. Of course, Yang or Blake could barely recognize it as the moon. To them, it had always appeared as a half-shattered sphere in the sky. But with the sun out, which cast jagged shadows over the ruins, neither had the opportunity to compare.

They approached the pedestals, most of them topped with familiar-looking shapes made of polished black and white stone.

“Chess pieces?” Blake wondered out loud.   
  
“Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here. Wonder if your sister made it.”   
  
“I bet she has. She’ll have found herself a great partner by now. Let’s pick one of these babies.”

They each started their respective inspections from both ends of the line of pedestals. Such curious little statues; they hardly seemed special enough to earn the “relic” monicker to which Ozpin assigned. Their order appeared random, except for the color. Black, white, black, white. Yang finally stopped in front of a marble-white knight piece. It fit firmly in her fist and she waved it towards Blake.

“How about a cute little pony?”

“Sure,” Blake said, unable to conceal her smirk. Yang’s enthusiasm lifted her spirits rather than disturb her like last night. Something about her had grown on Blake. Probably for the best, she decided, on account of their team up.

“That wasn't too hard!”   
  
“Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find.”

* * *

 

A menacing caw shook the forest. 

“Thought a nest was a temple. Unbelievable!”

“Don’t! You! Have better things to do right now...than complain?!”

“I want to make sure our last moments are spent with me reminding you what an insufferable Little Red-”

Something tackled Weiss to the ground and cut her off mid-sentence. Ruby turned to see what happened, but before she could process anything something hit her hard and she joined Weiss on the forest floor. Her head thumped against a tree. Her vision blurred. Two figures crouched over the girls. Grimm? Something worse?

“Shh,” hushed the person who had checked Ruby.

Ruby blinked and the green blob in front of her cleared into a young man. Lie Ren. His eyes shifted behind black locks with a streak of pink. 

“Uh, hello?”

“Be quiet,” he repeated.

“Excuse me!” Weiss clamored. She pushed Nora Valkyrie off of her and patted the leaves off of her dress.

“Hey! You heard the man, quiet down.” Nora snapped back.

Ren laid his hands on the ground and closed his eyes. Ruby felt something cool rush over her, like water that gently overtook the group. Ruby noticed Ren’s hands glowing a faint purple. Was he using his Semblance? His unique ability to, by the looks of it, provide them some cover? The Nevermore flew overhead, but failed to spot them. Whatever he had done, it worked. They sat in silence until the sound of its wings were completely gone.

“My apologies for knocking you down,” Ren said as he stood up. He offered Ruby assistance. “I just needed complete focus, and it wasn’t going to happen with all that bickering. I’m Ren, and this is Nora.”

“Well,” Weiss said, “apology accepted. It appears your Aura protected us satisfactorily.”

“You’re Weiss Schnee,” Ren said, though not impressed a single bit. “You’re pretty well-known around the school already.”

“Well, what can I say? I just-”

“Totally blew up! That explosion was great.” Her ginger hair bounced as she spoke jovially. “Not to mention how you stick to Pyrrha Nikos like glue. I know a few guys and gals who are jealous of that.”

With Weiss rendered speechless, Ruby chuckled.

“Thanks, I helped out with that. I’m Ruby.”

Ooh! Ruby Rose?” Nora inquired. “The lil one that only made it halfway through Signal? What an honor! I figured you must be some sort of great Huntress. Taller, maybe, and a little more muscular, but whatever! What are the odds we’d run into you?

“It’s a pleasure,” Ren added.

The two pairs of Hunters-in-training, one as close as possible and the other at ends with each other, hiked the rest of their journey. Ren said he had seen the temple during their flight and had its location pinpointed. But with Ruby’s shyness, Weiss’s uptightness about earlier comments, and Ren’s stoic personality, the trip had few words exchanged. Fortunately Nora made up for all of them.

“So, what’s a Schnee doing all the way down in Vale? Ooh! Did they kick you out of Atlas Academy?”

Weiss scoffed audibly.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but... It’s for training purposes. Foreign field studies. Preparing myself for a life of world-traveling and geopolitics. Just that sort of thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Nora didn’t seem very impressed. It all sounded pretty laudy and potentially untrue.

“World traveling?” Ruby asked. “Don’t you plan on sticking with your team after graduating?”

“In Atlas it’s traditional to join the military,” Weiss explained. “Of course, I’ll hold a high-ranking position like my sister and still work as a representative of the family business. Not that they’re very different.”

She spoke the truth. Atlas stood out amongst the other nations of Remnant in that, decades prior, its military and government merged with its powerful Dust industry to create a strict state of massive wealth and influence. As the leading Dust miners and distributors in the world, the Schnee Dust Company had a major role in shaping the country. Weiss had grown up around military officials and corporation owners as much as her own parents.

“You know, you’re telling this to your future teammate. Besides, you’re gonna get taught in Vale, why apply that to Atlas? You’re missing out on the exciting life of being a Hunter!”

“Dying in a ditch out in the wilderness isn’t what I’d call exciting.”

“You know,” Ren interrupted, as he sensed an oncoming quarrel, “Nora and I are from Mistral. We plan to stick around in Vale for a while ourselves. Being a Hunter for hire doesn’t mean dying out in the middle of nowhere.”

“You get to help people!” Nora added on.

“And given that it does have something of a… high mortality rate, settlements are always looking to pay top dollar for good mercenaries. Not that you’d need the extra financial help, Weiss.”

He meant that as a jab, but she took it in stride.

“That’s my point. Why risk my life when I can live comfortably and still leave my mark on the world?”

“To help people?” Ruby stated, rather somberly. “You can always teach Hunters in training!”

Weiss shook her head.

“Watch me help more people than you could ever hope to once I’m in charge of the Company.”

The rest of the walk had a pretty morose feel to it, with no one in the mood to raise conversation with the heiress ready to shoot them down. Fortunately for them, the forest opened up to the ruins of the ancient temple. Far ahead, Yang and Blake stood at the base of the stairs in conversation. When Yang saw that red cape flutter in the distance, she jumped in delight.

“Ruby!” She cheered. “I’m so glad you… oh. Please tell me you’re with one of them and not Weiss.”

* * *

 

Pyrrha ran; ran as fast as she could. She vaulted over every fallen tree and slashed at the vines that obscured her path. The forest floor shook with the half dozen footsteps of an enemy behind her.

Jaune Arc had not found a relic in the cave. Instead, he found a Deathstalker. A mammoth-sized scorpion Grimm. It’s glistening, poison-tipped stinger appeared more benevolent by the light of Pyrrha's Dust round. Since he had grabbed on, he had not let go, because the Grimm felt threatened enough to rampage away through the forest, Jaune helplessly in tow. It had its sights set on Pyrrha.

“Pyrrha! It’s- wah!” He lashed about uncontrollably on the long tail. “It’s not the relic! It’s not the relic!” Jaune screamed deliriously.

“I know, Jaune!” she shouted back, probably the first time she expressed annoyance at him since they met.

When the Deathstalker led Pyrrha straight to the temple, the others were first glad to see her, and then horrified at what she brought to the gathering.

“Yang! We gotta do something!” Ruby said, panicked. She tried to formulate who could take down the Deathstalker.

“I don’t think so!” Weiss interjected. “I’m saving Pyrrha. I learned how to fight giant Grimm like these. You just need to immobilize them first.”

Weiss sauntered past the others and assumed her well-practiced battle stance. The barrel on her sword clicked as it set to ice Dust. First she waved the rapier and one of her trademark glyphs materialized beside Pyrrha. The white sigil, round and patterned like a snowflake, whirled around before it lurched forward and knocked Pyrrha off her path, which sent her careening off to the side. Weiss would apologize for that later; besides, Pyrrha would sooner thank her once she took care of the Grimm.

Weiss aimed her sword like a pistol and fired off several bolts of icy-blue Dust. They struck the Deathstalker right in the legs, which managed to slow it down. The sudden decrease in speed made its tail flair forward and fling Jaune off, who landed not far from Pyrrha. Only a few legs could move at that point, and as the Deathstalker came closer and closer to Weiss, she readied a final freeze blast that would hold the beast in place. Once a mist of frigid blue passed, it revealed the Deathstalker rooted in place, barely able to budge.

“See?” she proclaimed as she turned to her audience. “Easy.”

“Weiss!” Yang yelled. “You forgot its stinger!”

“It’s wha-”

She heard the crackling of the Deathstalker’s calcified exterior as it shifted into attack mode. Its stinger glinted in the sunlight, but Weiss barely had time to see it before it thrust directly at her. Unable to defend and frozen in shock, she shut her eyes.

The next thing she knew, she flt a rush of wind blow across her face and heard a heavy thunk. When Weiss opened her eyes, she saw Ruby before her, a tight grip on her scythe. She had swung  _ Crescent Rose _ as hard as possible on the Grimm’s tail and successfully pinned it to the ground. The scorpion struggled to escape, but with legs secured by ice, it could do nothing but squirm.

“You know,” Ruby began, rather nonchalantly, “my uncle’s a teacher at Signal, where I went. He taught us once that you can learn more in a single day in the field than you do in class.” She grunted as she pushed all of her tiny weight onto the weapon. “He had us fight Grimm all the time, to see how they’d act in real life.”

“Your family seems like a real bunch of characters,” Weiss said, arms crossed.

“I’m  _ saying _ ,” Ruby stressed, “that all those techniques and poses you do might work on paper but not in the heat of the moment. You might  _ know _ how to fight but you don’t know  _ how _ to fight, you know?”

Weiss sighed and rolled her head back.

“Astoundingly, I do.” The whole time she truly had no idea how Ruby could hold down her scythe for so long. “I’ll try to lay off you. You’re here for a reason, and not as inept as I thought.”

“Thanks,” Ruby said with a grinl the nicest thing she had heard from Weiss in the past twenty-four hours. Really, she would take any kind words as a victory.

The tender moment could only last so long. Ruby eventually lost her grip on  _ Crescent Rose _ and the tail dislodged itself from the dirt which threw Ruby backwards.

“Ruby!” called several voices at once.

She rolled to a stop, weapon in her clutch. Meanwhile the Deathstalker thrashed in its icy prison, tail on the hunt for something to rip apart. The ice would not hold for much longer.

Yang ran to Ruby’s side and helped her sister up, then trapped her in one hell of a bear hug.

“She’s such a daredevil but great at what she does! I’m so proud of you. I was just telling Blake how wonderful and capable you are!”

“Yang p-please,” she choked, “we gotta get our relics.”

“Altar up there,” Blake said with a nod towards the temple.

“Sounds like a good plan to me!” Nora declared. She skipped towards the altar stairs.

Down the plaza, a bumbling Jaune crawled over to help Pyrrha up.

“Relic time,” he said to her, arm around her shoulder.

They hurried up the steps behind Nora so they could finish their relic collection and get out before anything else crazy would happen. Once they studied the odd statues, Ruby grabbed a white knight and Jaune a black rook from the far end of the room. They tapped them together in celebration. Yang laughed off how she and Ruby coincidentally picked up the same piece, despite the color, which led to Ruby wondering aloud if that meant they would share a team. Yang brushed the question off, though Blake seemed to accept the idea.

“She’d be a great teammate Yang, don’t leave her hanging.”

And oh how Ruby adored that the older and aloof student took a liking to her.

Nora meanwhile snatched up her own white rook, and proudly displayed it to Ren.

“See? King and queen of the castle, you and I!”

“I think that’s a rook,” Ren corrected.

Nora really had no comeback, but appealed to his lighthearted side and prodded the tip of the relic on his nose.

“Boop.”


	8. Team RWBY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All eight students rush to complete their objective, but run into a final confrontation with their Grimm friends from the Emerald Forest. Can they all make it in one piece to get sorted into their teams?

In the plaza, the Deathstalker thrashed in its icy prison. The eight students, relics in-hand, made their way down the altar.

“What do we do about that thing?” Blake asked.

“Kill it while it’s stuck!” Nora proclaimed.

“You wanna get back near it?” Jaune asked incredulously.

“Look,” Weiss said, “there's no sense in dilly-dallying. We’ve met our objective.”

Ruby nodded in agreement.

“She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the Cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things.”  
  
“Run and live,” Jaune said, “I can get behind that.” 

But they had little time to discuss the matter further. The Deathstalker finally broke through the ice that held its legs in place.

“Uh, emphasis on live!” Yang shouted and pointed to the Grimm.

Ren drew his weapons from his sleeves.

“Time we run!”  
  
“Right.” Ruby waved to them, “Let's go!”

* * *

 

They all ran, desperate to get ahead of the Deathstalker before it could come too close. Yang held behind just a bit to take in the sight of her sister taking charge.

Running as fast as their legs would allow, Blake and Ren trailed behind the pack and peppered the Deathstalker with automatic gunfire, but it barely hindered its charge. They needed a plan, and quick.

Up ahead, Beacon Cliff, from where they had launched earlier. One problem; it loomed above them from across a wide and seemingly bottomless chasm. All that connected their side to the cliff? A wild and confusing array of bridges and pillars, clearly as ancient as the abandoned temple. Ascension did not look like an easy prospect. The group sprinted towards a bridge that led towards a spiral pathway that curled around a column.

When they made it to the start of the bridge, Yang, Jaune, and Nora kept running, but Pyrrha stopped on a dime and took a knee; her spear transformed into a rifle and she joined in the bombardment on the Grimm. Each bullet proved powerful, but hardly frequent enough to make a scratch. Ruby skidded to a stop next to Ren and shot with her scythe.

“Can’t you just do what you did in the forest?” Ruby shouted to Ren over the gunfire.

“I can shield us from their ability to sense emotions. I can’t make us invisible,” he explained, then reloaded his pistols.

Nora trailed behind on her way up the staircase and noticed how close the Deathstalker came to edging her friends off the cliff. She lugged her hammer up in both hands as it transformed into a more compact form, but nonetheless as formidable; a grenade launcher fueled by the same Dust that gave _Mjolnir_ its kick.

She fired explosives that trailed clouds of pink residue and they landed in the Deathstalker’s wake. It let out a screeching roar through its fangs and reeled; deterred but by no means scared off. Unfortunately the explosions hit the ruins around them and knocked clumps of old brick into the chasm behind the group.

As grenade blasts rendered the battlefield more and more unstable, Ruby and Weiss jumped up a nearby pillar. While Ruby used her rifle to propel herself, she noted how Weiss conjured her sigils. They appeared to be flat, glass-like, disk-shaped platforms that she could even move at will. Incredible, but not helpful to take down a giant Grimm.

A loud caw shook the valley. Ruby and Weiss looked up to see the Nevermore return to the fight.

“That’s bad,” Ruby said under her breath. She slammed a new cartridge into her rifle.

“What do you suppose we do?” Weiss asked, more sincerely than usual.

“Fire!”

Ruby wedged her scythe into the ancient stone and aimed. Her bullets flew true and managed to shave a couple feathers off the crow Grimm, but it flew on, only enraged by the attacks. It ran head-on into the ruins.

The middle of the bridge blew apart from the crash. Ren and Blake had attempted to cross before the bird made contact and ended up launched into the air above the gaping void. Ren thought fast and kicked off a chunk of debris. He jumped from piece to piece of the wreckage until he clung to the edge of the remaining bridge. Pyrrha, without a glance behind her, leant backwards and grabbed him by the wrist. Even with the help, he had ended up on the side with the Grimm.

Ruby noticed Blake’s fall and nearly jumped after her, but had no way to bring them both to safety. Out of nowhere, Yang vaulted from the upper stairway with a blast of her gauntlets and nabbed Blake’s gun. She landed on a pillar across from Ruby and Weiss and pivoted while Blake swung around on her whip and flipped upwards to join Yang where she stood. They shared a high-five.

The Nevermore made its way back down the valley for another run.

“What do we do?” Yang called out.

“Give it everything we got,” Weiss answered. Ruby couldn’t have said it better.

A high-impact sniper rifle, a sword full of Dust, a submachine gun, and shotgun hailed fire on the Nevermore. It caed in defiance, and took the attacks without a flinch. Before the Grimm could crash into them and make another fine mess, the four girls jumped and relocated to another set of pillars. The Nevermore passed, turned, and prepared to finally pluck its tiny from their perch.

* * *

 

Jaune stopped in his tracks once Yang suddenly left his side and flew across the chasm. It drew his attention to the other side of the collapsed bridge, where Pyrrha and Ren fought without any backup.

“Man, we gotta help them!”

“No problem!” Nora assured him from a few flights of steps below. “Can you say ‘timber?’”

“Timber…?”

Nora gave her hammer a twirl and then smashed the pillar that held up the stairs on which they stood. Jaune panicked and screamed bloody murder but luckily for him, Nora’s hint of engineering knowledge and experiencing with hammering fulcrums meant she knew exactly where to smash so that the pillar would land Jaune right on the scorpion-infested side of the valley. Nora ran across her makeshift bridge to join the other three, where they all regrouped together.

A sword, a rifle, a hammer, and a pair of automatic pistols did all they could on the Deathstalker’s claws as it snapped and swooped in an attempt to grab a student to eat. Its armored face meant that their work did very little. They needed a way to pierce its thick hide.

Jaune spotted the stinger that hung over the scorpion’s body. When Ruby attacked it earlier, it had loosened, and now dangled delicately. He had an idea.

“Pyrrha! The stinger!” He commanded.

She looked up and saw what he had in mind. Pyrrha backed up and took a sniping position.

“We’ll cover you,” Jaune said with a nod towards Ren.

The Deathstalker’s left claw hooked around to grab the motionless Pyrrha, but Jaune stepped in to deflect it with his shield. The enormous appendage bounded off. Ren fired at he arm to get it away from Jaune, and the scorpion did as he wanted; to avoid more gunfire it raised the claw from Jaune, but hovered it above Nora.

Never deterred, Nora grasped her warhammer in both hands and swung up. It smashed into the underside of the claw and knocked the entire Grimm off balance. It gave Pyrrha ample time to land a few shots on the stinger, and allowed Jaune to run up and stab the Deathstalker’s left arm with his sword. Ren dashed up and rammed the knife-like butt of his pistol into the other arm, and shot with the other gun into the Grimm’s face. At least one bullet must have struck one of the arachnid’s eyes because it screeched in pain and flailed wildly. Jaune and Ren flopped off their points of attack, and the latter even dropped his _Stormflower_. Nora hurried to defend Pyrrha but a single claw sweep knocked both girls aside. Pyrrha dropped her gun in the scramble, which left their group with a distinct lack of arms.

“Jaune!” Pyrrha shouted, “throw your shield!”

Her bullets had nearly finished the job, but the stinger still dangled in place. Jaune saw what she meant.

“I can’t make that shot!” he pleaded.

“Yes you can!”

“But-” he couldn’t say anything more. The Deathstalker readied its claws for a final attack, and Pyrrha was the closest target. Jaune bit his tongue and stood with his shield held awkwardly in one hand. He pulled it back, then threw with all of his miserable might.

And somehow, despite his meager muscles, the shield flew straight like an arrow. It zoomed right towards the tip of the Deathstalker’s tail and severed it in one clean cut. The stinger fell and impaled the Grimm right through its back and directly into its heart.

Pyrrha lowered her hand from her temple. It had flown just as she willed it.

The Grimm gurgled and spluttered in agony, but still twitched and made staggered movements for the group.

“Nora!” Ren shouted. He had picked up Pyrrha’s circular shield and held it over his head. With the pair’s closeness, he didn’t have to say anything more. Odds are they had performed a similar maneuver at some point in their lives.

Nora sprinted towards Ren and leapt up, feet towards the shield. Ren pushed her up with all his strength and Nora made a flawless vault sideways towards the Grimm. Her hammer arced around with massive momentum and slammed onto the stinger. It bored a hole straight through the scorpion and finished it off once and for all. Nora and Ren laughed in their glory, and Jaune sighed in relief before he fell right back on the ground in exasperation. He locked eyes with Pyrrha and they smiled warmly as they did in the forest earlier.

* * *

 

When the four girls made their next assault, Weiss had a thought. She spun the barrel on her sword so that she would shoot not the damage-inducing fire Dust, but the far more situational ice. Ruby and Blake shot at one of the wings, which forced the Nevermore to slow down and reel in pain. With the Grimm between them and the cliffs, Weiss unleashed a full-on blizzard at it, the force of which sent it back into the rock face. A block of ice kept the Nevermore stuck to the cliff and ruins by its tail feathers.

Ruby had seen Weiss recover with her sigils and Blake rappel with her ribbon-whip. She had enough to formulate a plan.

“Yang! Don’t let the Nevermore get up!”

“Got it!” she yelled, already on a path towards the Grimm. She blasted her way across the gap and landed right on the Nevermore’s chest, a foot planted on its lower beak while a hand propped the upper part open. She made a fist and smiled, “Hungry, buddy?” and delivered blow after blow after blow of Dust-fueled punches down its throat. The enemy thoroughly distracted, Ruby could instruct the remainder of the group.

“Blake! Slingshot me!”

She needed no further explanation. Blake unfurled the ribbon attached to her gunblade and whipped it across from where she stood to a parallel pillar. The gun wrapped around and then the blade pinned into the stone. Ruby grabbed the ribbon and backed herself into it, and yes, its elasticity did not disappoint. She gave the tether a good twang as she spoke to Weiss.

“Think you can shoot me up there?” Ruby asked.

She scoffed, but already a sigil grew behind Ruby.

“Of course you’d think up something this reckless.”

Ruby groaned, fed up with the attitude.

“Is that a yes!?”

“Yes and more!”

“Then go!”

The sigil lurched forward and slingshotted Ruby like an arrow, just as planned. She soared through the air, ready to catch the Grimm on her scythe.

“Yang!” She shouted.

Yang took a break from the force-feeding to glance at her sister’s breakneck launch. With impeccable timing, Yang backflipped out of the Nevermore’s beak and arced right over Ruby. they locked eyes for a split second, which allowed Yang to wink in a prideful manner.

 _Crescent Rose_ pinned the Nevermore to the cliff by its neck, and it let out a choked squawk. To her surprise, yet another sigil appeared on the cliff face in front of Ruby. The range that girl could cast her Semblance! She planted her feet on it and pulled the trigger on her rifle once, then twice, then three times. The propulsion launched her skywards with the Nevermore in tow. It dragged up cliff as the sigil allowed a frictionless Ruby to surf the rocks vertically.

As she neared the top, Ruby activated the component of her rifle that slid up and clamped down with the blade. The Nevermore’s strangled neck cleaved in half and its head ripped right off. Ruby felt hot, black ooze flood onto her face and shoulders, so she kicked off the Grimm corpse and landed sloppily into a roll.

Once recovered, she stood, poised, in front of a stunned Professor Goodwitch and a solemn-faced Ozpin, who nodded approvingly and took a sip from his mug.

* * *

 

The students stood in the auditorium before Professor Ozpin, who took center stage as he had two days earlier. Now, with the lights dimmed, multiple large monitors displayed the portraits and names of students as Ozpin announced teams.

“...Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Cardinal.”

Up on the monitors, their names and faces were replaced by a single letter for each student which spelled out the team name, CRDL.

“Led by... Cardin Winchester!”

A wave of ovation came from the audience, and down the row from Ruby, she could see four boys cheering with their arms raised.  
  
“Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Juniper.”

Their faces were replaced with their own anagram, JNPR. Amid the clapping, Nora laughed and gave Ren a tight hug.  
  
“Led by Jaune Arc!”

“Led by?” Jaune gulped.

“Congratulations,” Pyrrha said, in love with the wild atmosphere. She offered a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but he missed the cue and nearly fell over.

“And finally,” Ozpin declared, at the end of his speech, “Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long.”

Ruby felt her heart beat fast. Yang adored the spotlight she received. Blake felt no surprise that the four girls wound up on the same team. Weiss shuddered from the sound of her name played over the speakers. Her time to shine.

“The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Ruby.”

The anagram of the crew appeared in bold font. RWBY. The reveal of the team name did not make things look good for Weiss.

“Led by... Ruby Rose!”

Weiss looks to her right, aghast, where Ruby stood in shock. Yang goes over to embrace her sister. Blake gave a slow but genuine clap.  
  
“I'm so proud of you!” she said. She made Ruby as coddled and smothered as possible, though Ruby still had trouble believing any of this was real, and didn’t budge.

* * *

 

That same night at the city of Vale’s docks, tucked away in a warehouse, Roman Torchwick was about to celebrate his own victory.

He put a cigar between his teeth and lit the end of it with a monogrammed lighter. Just as the warmth poured down his throat, he saw two of his masked-adorned associates enter. One appeared to have antlers and the other, who pushed a cart of metal cases, had noticeable fangs. They brought the cart to a stop in front of Roman, who waved his hand at them.

“Open it.”  
  
The masked man did so with a crowbar. Inside the case, a large amount of Dust crystals of varying colors, some not even available on the market. Roman picked up a blue gem in his hand and took in the sight of his loot. The light that emitted from the crates shone bright enough to illuminate the area around Roman.

Behind him, a map of Vale hung on the wall. It had markings and notes scribbled all around it, with police stations circled and pins stuck in the locations of Dust shops.

“Time to call in the help.”


	9. The Badge and the Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY begins their first year at Beacon Academy, but Weiss won't drop the belief that she should have been made leader.

Beacon Academy was an old school, but by no means did it skimp on comfort for its students. Aside from its location next to the illustrious bay side City of Vale, it housed lush school grounds with plazas and gardens.

The dorms for the first-year students were large rooms set to accommodate all four team members. To make this possible, a large common room sat in the center which also connected to their bathrooms and kitchen area. The dorms themselves, quite specious, as they had to have room for four beds and a pair of closets, not to mention a sink. A single wide window gave Team RWBY a view of a bustling courtyard and the Emerald Forest in the distance.

Weiss Schnee rolled out of bed, groggy, and rubbed her eyes. She felt the cool morning breeze through the open window. A fresh morning. Vale’s air had a certain advantage over the cold, bitter air of Atlas. She appreciated-

“About time!” wailed a familiar voice.

The next thing she knew, Ruby sat next to her on her bed, fully dressed and clearly very awake.

“What?!” Weiss jumped, caught off-guard.

“Hope you got your beauty sleep Weiss because Team RWBY’s gonna make a great first impression today!”

Weiss looked at her rater incredulously. She saw Yang and Blake standing nearby, just as bemused by Ruby’s attitude.

“How long have you been up?”

“Oh, we’ve been up since dawn. We’ve just been busy decorating!” Yang declared, gesturing with her arms open wide.

Unlike last night, the walls were now littered with posters for bands, art, and weapons. A bookshelf was stuffed with books and other supplies. Shirts hung messily in the closets and the drawers of their dressers came close to bursting open with a year’s worth of clothing.

“We even decided to make room by putting together bunk beds.” Blake said coyly.

Weiss had noticed an excess of space. Sure enough, Blake’s bed had been crudely stacked on top of Yang’s. She looked up, and to her surprise Ruby’s bed was suspended above her own by a series of ropes, with only a single leg resting on Weiss’s own bed.

“Wait, you did that while I was asleep?!”

“I said you were a heavy sleeper.” Yang shrugged.

“I could have died!”

“Yet you’re still here,” Blake sighed.

The gang finished getting dressed and packing their supplies. As Weiss brushed her hair, she watched Ruby pace frantically around the room with papers in hand.

“I was up all night organizing our schedules! We have our classes together as a team but that doesn’t mean we can’t be as productive as possible!”

“Really? You didn’t sleep at all?” Weiss asked.

“Oh I’m on like, my seventh cup of coffee since midnight so it’s no big deal. I’m ready to go and you all should be too! Look, I printed out synchronized agendas for classes, lunch, breaks, all that!”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but where the happened to land did not please her in the slightest.

“Hey! Did you use my coffee machine?” she interrogated. The coffee pot still had a lukewarm puddle at the bottom.

Ruby tapped her forefingers together.

“Uh, I thought it was for all of us?”

“No, no, this right here is mine. I only use the finest beans farmed in Vacuo. They cost more than those cheap bullets you use. If you must, at least ask my permission and bring your own materials.”

Blake was desperate to change the direction of that conversation. She walked over to Ruby and looked over her shoulder at some of the papers she held.

“What time is our first class exactly, Ruby?”

“Let’s see, there’s World History, but that’s later… Oh. Nine o’ clock.”

“What time did you say?” Weiss asked with urgency.

“Uh, nine?”

“It’s a quarter to, you dunce!”

“Better hustle!” Yang said cheerily.

Ruby had not really accounted for what time it currently was, apparently. The girls packed their bags for a long first day and rushed out of the dorms towards the school proper. Their first class of the day was Combat Training.

* * *

Professor Goodwitch addressed the class, who sat in the rows of bleachers around a circular sparring arena. Large monitors hung from the ceiling along with speakers that amplified Glynda’s voice.

“Now, in a sanctioned tournament setting, your scrolls will be used to monitor your Aura levels and provide a scoring system for combat. Fights during the Vytal Festival will be a spectator sport, of course. Those whose Aura drop below a certain amount face disqualification. This is to ensure the safety of combatants.

The monitors flashed on and displayed the portraits of two students, with a colored bar underneath representing their Aura level.

“Anyone whose Aura is beaten to zero percent or is rendered unconscious won’t have the benefit of protection. Be sure to refer to your scrolls only when appropriate; Grimm will see you as a target regardless of Aura.”

Weiss glared to her side. Oh, Ruby was paying attention to her scroll all right. Clearly she wasn’t looking at her Aura though, and instead just messaged Jaune or Nora or whoever.

* * *

In their World History class, Professor Oobleck zipped around the room with the same energy Ruby did on her coffee binge.

“As a Huntsman and historian it is my esteemed duty to pass on knowledge to your generation. And impeccable knowledge it is! For those who do not learn from history are doomed. To. Repeat it. Our first couple weeks will be spent covering the Great War. How it shaped Remnant geographically, politically, and of course, geopolitically!”

But that binge was over, and Ruby had finally begun to crash, barely awake for the explanation of Oobleck’s syllabus. Weiss wanted to snap her pencil.

* * *

In the evening, the team had their final class of the day, taught by Professor Port, who specialized in Grimm hunting strategies. The stout old man rambled on through a large, grayed mustache.

“The creatures of Grimm are mighty not only in their musculature but in their keen senses! They will sniff out any negativity and strike the closest foe. In this class we will study our enemies; know the Grimm, live the Grimm, be the Grimm. Putting yourself in the enemy’s shoes will give you the greatest advantage in the field. Be prepared, for next week we begin a series of trips into the Emerald Forest to test your ability to mask and suppress your emotions.”

Even though Yang and Blake paid no more attention than Ruby, who doodled in her notebook, Weiss found herself predisposed to find fault in only her leader.

“Ruby!” she hissed. “Pay attention-”

“Miss Schnee, do you have something you’d like to share with the class?”

Weiss froze up; the irony of the situation hit her hard. She tried to stay composed.

“N-no sir.”

“Oh, I’d wholeheartedly disagree. Someone from Atlas such as yourself must have a rigorous military background,” he chuckled, “or, at least a good bit of discipline and experience in battle.”

“Of course, professor.”

“When we venture forth into the wilderness, one of the more common Grimm we may come across is the hearty Boarbatusk. Ill expect to see you taking on the first one we see.”

Ruby flashed Weiss a thumbs-up, but Weiss just smiled politely at Port.

“Can you tell me the proper strategy for taking on one of these wild beasts?”

Weiss was rendered speechless for once, mainly because she had to delegate energy into ignoring Ruby to her left who flailed frantically in an attempt to communicate the answer. She patted and pointed to her stomach, indicating that the weak point would be the Grimm’s unarmored belly. Weiss chose to ignore her; she had read up on the weak spots of Grimm and this was not at all a difficult question.

“The underside, sir. You have to make it reveal its abdomen and run it through.”

“Mm, bravo my dear,” Port clapped his hands together, “and I eagerly await to see you do just that.”

After class, Weiss shoved her books into her bag and stormed off. Ruby and Yang were taken back while Blake just rolled her eyes at the drama. Ruby packed up just as quickly and vaulted over her desk in an attempt to chase down her teammate. In the hallway outside the classroom, the setting sun colored the walls orange.

"Weiss!" Ruby called.   
  
"What?" Weiss asked flatly. She barely turned her head to glare back.   
  
“You’ve been acting crabby all day! What’s wrong?”   
  
"What's wrong with  _ me _ ? What's wrong with  _ you _ ? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is an irresponsible nuisance!"   
  
"What did I do?" Ruby scoffed.   


"That's just it, you've done nothing to earn your position! You’re a kid from some backwater town out in who-knows-where. Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so.”   
  
"Weiss, where is this coming from? Don’t you remember me saving you? Us working together? I thought you were warming up to the idea of being a team!”   
  
"Not a team led by you.” She turned completely, arms crossed and lips pursed. “I've studied and trained. Quite frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake.”

Weiss left down the corridor, leaving a very dejected Ruby to sulk in place. 

“Now that didn’t seem to go very well.”   


Ruby jumped, startled. Professor Ozpin had snuck up behind her without making a sound. He stood stalwart as always, with his treasured can in one hand and a mug in the other.   
  
"Is she right?” Ruby asked, a lump forming in her throat. “Did you make a mistake?"   


Ozpin laughed under his breath.   


"That remains to be seen.”

Ruby slumped her head. That was hardly inspiring.

“Ruby, I’ve made more mistakes than any person on this planet. And that includes students like yourself. I wouldn’t consider your appointment to leader to be one of those.” He took a sip of his drink. The mug hid a solemn frown. “Miss Rose, you have a penchant for weapons. Do you remember your mother’s?”

“Yeah,” Ruby said, “it was this big silver sword. She lost it when she… on her final mission.”

“That wasn’t her original weapon, you know.” Ozpin looked down at Ruby. “It was a graduation gift. From myself. A relic I thought she could put to good use.”

“Well, she definitely did,” Ruby ensured. The stories she grew up with filled her with a passion for Grimm hunting as a child.

“Indeed.”

“I wish we could have found it.”

Ozpin nodded.

“If only. I would have taken it back.”

Ruby looked up, confused and a little bewildered at the sentiment.

“To keep it safe while I made sure her daughter was trained to be an expert Hunter and earned the right to carry it after her.”

Ruby smiled, but after a moment raised an eyebrow.

“So you planned to watch over me while I learned, huh?”

Ozpin averted his gaze towards the sunset.

“My goodness how the time flies. The first day of class is nearly over, I must get back to my office before closing.” He turned around and tapped his cane on the ground. “Have a good evening, Ruby, and best of luck with your teammate.”

“You, um, too.”

* * *

Weiss roamed the halls the cool herself down. She couldn’t stop her head from cycling through the crazy situation in which she found herself. Every time she rationalized that she could handle not being the leader, the thought of Ruby acting like an impudent child came to mind and drove her off the edge again. Wandering the second floor, she soon came across a balcony where Professor Port was lounging. Something in her head clicked; finally she could get these issues sorted with a respected member of the faculty.

"Professor Port!" she called as she approached him.

He was leaning his stocky body on the railing, but turned once he heard her voice.   
  
"Ah, Miss Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"   


“Oh, well… I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your lecture.” She bit her tongue. This would be harder to bring up than she thought.

"Of course you did, child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you."   
  
"You really think so?" she asked with a smile. The recognition made her pride practically glow.   
  
"Most surely!”   


But even with the pat on the head, Weiss avoided eye contact, and Port noticed.

“But something’s troubling you?”

Weiss sighed and rubbed her hands together

“Something like that.”   
  
"Dear girl, confess to me your strife!"   
  
“Well sir, I think I should have been the leader of my team.”

Port was silent. His bushy eyebrows furrowed with his forehead.

“My child, that’s preposterous.”   
  
"Excuse me?!"   


"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray! I wouldn’t consider such a meager decision to be some kind of bombastic display of poor choice.”

“Meager? This is more than meager! And so, what, you’d just blindly accept his decision? After all I did in the field? As if all my studying and experience has been for nothing?”   
  
“Now, now,” Port tried to settle her temper. “Perhaps you’re viewing the situation from a rather privileged point of view, hm?”   
  
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, sensing a derogatory comment. “The only  _ privilege _ I’ve had is to learn how to be a half-decent Huntress, unlike  _ her _ .”   
  
"My point exactly,” he said, again, much to Weiss’s chagrin. “I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted, even say, recognition not always rightfully earned.”   


Weiss crossed her arms defiantly, and stared down Professor Port like the type of person who would threaten to fire him.

“That’s hardly true!  _ Barely _ true.” She clenched her teeth. “Doesn’t it make a difference if I’ve still trained harder than her? Dedicated most of my life to being a Hunter?”

“Can you say that with absolute certainty?”

“I would very much like to think so.”

“Again, my point. And let me ask you this; doesn’t it make a difference to the people in power to see you acting this way? Ungrateful for their lot in life? Miss Schnee, you’ve made it to the most prestigious academy on this planet and yet that still isn’t enough.”

“Being a _ leader _ would be enough.”

“Savor what you have, Weiss. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and focus not on putting everyone else down, but on being the best person you can be.”

She had no response.

“And now, I must take my leave.”

Weiss soaked in his words. She hadn’t been spoken to in such an honest way very often in her life. The perspective of bettering herself rather than demoting others was a new concept, but if anyone could do it, it was her. Elevate herself to be the best? An easy feat.

* * *

The moon shone into Team RWBY’s room. A tree outside cast spindly shadows that covered Weiss’s nightgown as she entered. A gentle breeze came in through the jarred window.

Blake and Yang slept soundly, with the later periodically snoring. It would give Weiss all the privacy she needed. She raised herself up to Ruby’s lofted bed in search of her leader. Under the sheets, Ruby snoozed on top of an open book and pages upon pages of notes. Weiss was a little amazed at her determination. She cleared her throat loudly and gently shook the other girl awake, who took a second to regain consciousness and started flailing in surprise.   


"Weiss! I-I was studying, and then I fell asleep! I'm sorry..."   
  
Weiss raised a finger up to her lips to shush her. Blake and Yang were asleep, after all. She spotted Ruby’s empty coffee mug on its side on her mattress, and picked it up.   
  
“How do you take your coffee?” she asked as a sign of good will.

“Look, you don’t have to, I think I’m sick of the stuff by now-”

“Just tell me.”

“Three creams and five sugars.”

Weiss sighed quietly. That sounded about right.   
  
"Don't move." She ducked under the bed; Ruby could hear the coffee machine click and hiss and pour out a fresh cup. Weiss ripped a few packets of sugar open and rose back up into Ruby’s view. “Here.”   
  
"Um... Thanks, Weiss."   
  
Weiss found her lips pursed again, but curled them into a smile.

"Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader." She cleared her throat. "Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have, because I am going to be right behind you, pushing you, making sure Team RWBY is the best it can be. We’ll be on top of this school. Together.”

Ruby thought she caught a glimpse of something psychotic in Weiss’s eyes, but gave her the benefit of the doubt and decided this was just her being positive for once.

"Good luck studying! I’m just going to relax out in the commons. I’m not too tired yet.”

“Sure thing,” Ruby said, followed by a yawn.

Weiss took her own coffee and made for the door. She placed a hand on the knob and turned for one final message.

"Hey, Ruby?"   
  
“Uh-huh?"   
  
"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid."


	10. Black and White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Class is in session! But combat practice proves to be a problem for Weiss and Blake, who have a duel to try and settle their differences.

A proper combat class. Professor Goodwitch would match pairs of students with each other for mock tournament fights. She thought she would test the teamwork of the new students the first change they got, to make the most of the experience.

Team RWBY was slated to go up against Team JNPR. Ruby and Yang, being sisters, pushed Blake and Weiss to represent their team. After all, they could use the training to learn about each other a little more. It was the perfect opportunity.

JNPR, on the other hand, took the direct opposite approach and sent Ren and Nora, two friends who had known each other for over a decade. There was a good chance they knew some strategies and could work together better than Blake and Weiss, who had barely even spoken to each other since their teams were formed.

Predictably, Blake and Weiss were getting their asses handed to them.

Ren peppered the duo with gunfire and Weiss blocked it. However while Blake could trade bullets for bullets, Nora wasn’t as passive, and used Ren’s covering fire to get in close with her hammer. Blake dodged a mighty swing of the warhammer, which left Weiss free to hit. Blake tried to regroup and attack Nora, but Weiss was already flying through the air by the time she could get back in.

Blake blocked Nora’s hammer with her sheath in one hand while Ren came from the side, forcing her to black the bladed ends of his pistols with another hand. She barked at Weiss for help.

With her rapier aimed at Ren, Weiss blasted him with ice Dust, but he had time to get away. This gave Blake use of her both hands to wrestle with Nora over her hammer. Weiss tried to make the most of the situation and attack Nora, but she vastly underestimated the strength of the ginger. Nora heaved her hammer, and Blake along with it, in Weiss’s path, which crashed them together.

After another five minutes of Ren and Nora covering each other and using superior positioning, Blake and Weiss had been smashed into each other enough times to deplete their Auras.

Professor Goodwitch congratulated the victors on a fight well fought, making sure to address the classroom on what parts of their techniques were invaluable to their success. She concluded the class with a snide remark.

“Excellent work JNPR. Miss Rose, perhaps next time you and your sister can give as a proper showing of teamwork, hm?”

Ruby had to avoid menacing stares from her two defeated teammates.

“Y-You got it, Professor!”

* * *

Team RWBY was refreshed by lunchtime, and with no afternoon classes that day they took their time eating. Yang and Weiss perused their scrolls, Blake scribbled in a journal, and Ruby had a newspaper laid out on the table in front of her. She had a slight obsession with browsing the news for any signs of Torchwick since their encounter. She wanted a round two now that she had grown a bit wiser, and a whole lot hungrier for justice.

“Ow! Stop it!”

They looked across the cafeteria. A Faunus student with rabbit ears was getting harassed by Cardin Winchester, leader of Team CRDL. Towering over the girl, he tugged at her ears while the rest of his team laughed.

“I told you they were real,” he said smugly.

Not a moment later a well-dressed upperclassman strolled up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as Cardin turned around, she punched him hard in the jaw, resulting in a loud snap. The bully clasped his hand over his cheek and took off with his teammates, who started running once the rest of the Faunus girl’s team of large and burly students joined in and threatened further violence. They then consoled their friend and left as a group.

“Remind me not to piss off that Adele girl,” Yang said, “she’s got a hell of a left hook.”

“Remind me to piss off Cardin next time I see him,” Blake mumbled.

“Now Blake, best not to get into battles that aren’t yours to fight,” Weiss said.

“He’s a bully. That’s everyone’s problem.”

They sat in silence after that exchange. Eventually, Blake shut her book and looked over at Ruby’s paper. She had flipped to the classified section. Blake placed a finger on one ad in particular.

“See that ad there? For a pet salon? It’s just a front.”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

“It’s a calling card for White Fang members. It’s a way they coordinate meetings.”

“Bunch of miscreants could use a bath,” Weiss said between bites.

“And there’s your dose of prejudice for the day by Team RWBY’s number one fighter,” Blake said flatly.

“Excuse me? Prejudice? The White Fang are a bunch of criminals.”

“Don’t talk about-”

“And don’t get me started on  _ your _ fighting style,” Weiss interrupted, “Miss ‘I don’t have any proper schooling of which to speak.’”

“I’ve got more experience than your education could give you,” Blake sneered, “time spent out in the field is worth way more than time spent in class.”

“Oh please, and what exactly were you doing all your life? Attending fight clubs?”

“Hey!” Ruby shouted.

All three girls looked at their leader, who had crumpled her newspaper in her hands in frustration.

“I think what you two need is an exercise in teamwork!”

“What?” Blake and Weiss said in unison.

“You two both screwed up today, so I say you make it up to each other in a one-on-one duel,” she declared, arms crossed. “It’s the best way to learn each other's fighting styles,  _ and _ you can vent that anger of yours.”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘anger,’” Blake began.

“Shush! Let’s finish up here and hustle back to the classroom. If we’re lucky, no one will be using it.”

* * *

And lucky they were. 

Weiss raised her rapier as a glyph appeared under her feet. It was an attack she preferred to start with; a quick strike that in theory could end a duel in a flash. The glyph hovered her off the ground only slightly, then took off at high speed towards Blake. Weiss came at her like a rocket, sword outstretched.

Blake didn’t move. When the sword pierced her chest, Weiss felt like she was just running it through a cloud. Blake vanished in a puff of smoke. Surprised, Weiss missed Blake as she appeared to her side and stuck a leg out, tripping her. She yelped and tumbled forward, knees scraped on the ground.

“Come on!” Blake shouted. “Come at me! Put all your studying to the test!”

That was Blake using her Semblance. She could create illusions of herself to take attacks while she dodged and prepared for a sneak attack. Their creation even produced something of a force, which allowed her to jettison out of her own shadow clones.

Weiss got back up and went right for Blake without pause. Blake met Weiss’s rapier with her gunblade, the hilt of which functioned as a semi-automatic rifle. At the moment, however, she was all about the steel. Both girls huffed and grunted as they exchanged blows.

“Go Weiss!” Ruby yelled from the sidelines.

“Get her, Blake!” Yang cheered.

Blake could tell the cheering annoyed Weiss, and used the distraction to her advantage. She allowed Weiss to slice from the side, but only into a shadow. Blake whipped around from Weiss’s right and roundhouse kicked her in the head, which elicited a disgruntled and pained yell.

“Fight me like you mean it. This is pointless if you don’t.”

“Are you trying to get on my nerves, is that it? Don’t think I forgot what you said about my family the other day,”

“Fine. You want to get civil? Tell me what you fight for. Why’s an heiress so concerned with going to a Hunter academy abroad?”

Blake shot a burst of bullets at Weiss, but she blocked them with her sword with impressive reflexes. Blake only needed to shoot as a distraction, though, and threw her bladed sheath towards Weiss’s legs. It bounced off the ground, and when Blake reeled it back in via the ribbon attached to it, Weiss cut it with a swift slice.

“I needed to learn things Atlas wouldn’t teach me.”

It didn’t matter how much of a lie that sounded like. She skirted around the question.

“That doesn’t tell me why you want to fight. Who do you imagine when you swing your sword at me? Where’s your motivation?”

“My motivation? I’m picturing taking down those White Fang thugs. Every stab is meant for their throats. I’m here to train to learn techniques for combating them. For revenge.”

“And what do you have against the White Fang? You remember what I said about the Company, right? It’s the Faunus that have beef with you, not the other way around.”

“You act like I’m not a victim here.”

“Slave labor, Weiss! Oppression!” Blake charged and swung; Weiss blocked, swung back, and was parried herself. They swung a dozen more times before stepping back from each other, breathing heavy.

“You’re the one sitting at the top.”

Weiss glared. A series of glyphs appeared in a circle around Blake, and she braced herself for an attack. Weiss zipped and jumped from one glyph to another with blinding speed to confuse Blake, and then struck from behind.

Blake barely had enough time to whip around and block Weiss’s blade with her own. 

“At the top? Hah!” Weiss paced around Blake while the latter recovered her weapon and gathered its ribbon. “Who do you think I am? What do you think I do?”

Blake couldn’t answer that. She realized her anger towards Weiss was too blind to really pick out any issue in particular.

That didn’t make the anger less warranted.

“I’m slated to own the Company some day, so what? I don’t have a say in what goes on. No one’s asking me for business advice or anything.”

“You still gotta be responsible as the face of the Company,” Blake said, jabbing a finger towards her.

“Responsible? Trust me, I take the brunt of responsibility in my family.”

“Is that so?”

They exchanged strikes. Blake did not take that response well, and hit quite harder in her next few swings. Excuses, that’s all Weiss was made of.

“My sister took off for the military when she was young.” Weiss explained. “My mother died. I’m all my father has left. That means I’m all he has to take his aggression out on. When the White Fang attacks our Dust shipments and employees and buildings, he gets very, very unpleasant to be around. I’ve been dealing with that as long as I can remember.”

Blake raised her rifle, but hesitated.

“I mean, I’d be surprised if he sees me as any better than those scum Faunus,” Weiss added on.

“Are you sure you aren’t just looking for a reason not to hate on your father?” Blake reasoned. She took her finger off the trigger.

“Don’t say that,” Weiss said. “You don’t have the right.”

Rage suddenly filled Blake. She flipped her gunblade in her hand and gripped it in sword form.

“So tell me about my rights!”

Blake went full offensive and slashed at Weiss. When she retaliated, her rapier went right through a shadow and Blake quickly repositioned behind her. Weiss whipped her blade through the air and materialized a pillar of ice from the ground. She had done it fast enough that Blake’s sword was lodged in the ice, an instant from piercing Weiss. Annoyed, Blake kicked the ice, shattering it. Weiss backed up, weary of another sneak attack.

“So why do you fight, huh?” she asked Blake. “You obviously don’t care about grades or accolades. You never had proper schooling before this”

“I fight for justice.”

“Grimm don’t know the difference between right and wrong.”

Their swords clashed, but both were losing energy. When Blake attempted to push Weiss away, she let it happen. Blake slumped forward and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

“It’s not the Grimm I’m worried about.”

“Oppression,” Weiss nodded while she caught her breath. She made some mocking hand gesture. Blake seemed so one-note right now.

“Not everyone gets to enjoy the rights we have.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me.”

“You’re the closest thing I have.”

Blake jabbed and stabbed. Weiss swung upwards to block, then hopped back and shot Blake an angry look.

“Exactly! I’m the closest thing you have on this whole campus; I’m your teammate. You can’t treat me like your enemy”

“Only if you can treat me equally.”

“Of course!” She outstretched her arms, “Blake, why wouldn’t I?”

Blake froze in hesitation. The question caught her off guard more than she thought possible. Yes, of course, why wouldn’t Weiss treat her as an equal? That’s all they were, equals.

Weiss took the opportunity to aim  _ Myrtenaster  _ at Blake and fire off a couple bolts of fiery Dust. To her surprise, Blake rolled forward to avoid them, then came out of the roll with a vicious leap. Blake pounced onto Weiss like a cougar, and they both tumbled to the ground, kicking and flailing.

A loud buzzer honked. Up above, near their portraits, their Aura levels were shown as depleted. past the standard line for disqualification. Neither had time to see who the winner was.

“Woo-hoo! Nice going you guys!” Yang congratulated, clapping her hands. “Really went at it!”

“Who won?” Blake asked, shoving Weiss off of her.

“Oh, I think I missed it,” Ruby said, shrugging dramatically. “It was  _ so _ close.”

Blake rolled her head back in exasperation. This was really her opportunity to prove something, to make a point. To get a win over the Schnee's.

Just as she thought that, Weiss offered her hand to Blake. Blake took it, and the dainty girl’s weight was just enough to hoist up Blake’s muscle. Weiss dusted off her skirt. Her eyes darted down, up, side to side, and finally settled on Blake as she gave a sigh.

“I apologize for losing my temper at lunch,” she said. “I let it get the best of me.”

Blake bit her tongue. She would never understand; it was the principle, not just her attitude, that made the situation so sour. Principles made racial tensions sour all over the world.

“I promise to control it in the future,” Weiss continued, “and I hope you learned where I might be coming from.”

“Yeah,” was all Blake could say. “Yeah, but-”

She caught Ruby giving her a look. A ‘don’t start it again’ kind of look. If it wasn’t for the topic at hand she’d be proud the youngest of the group was taking charge like that.

“...Yeah, now I know.”

It barely made a difference though. After all, it was about principles, and Weiss’s weren’t about t change. She was a Schnee, after all. She had been warned about them. Still, it wasn’t as if Blake didn’t want them to get along; they were on the same team and would be stuck together for some time. As progressive as she was, she’d actually be happy than angry all the time. So maybe Weiss would come to see just how badly the SDC hurt Faunus and how Atlas treat the lower class. She’s still young. Or maybe she’d never defrost the Ice Queen.


End file.
